thinges to worke to the best of these that loue him Gods corrections are good directions With one crosse hee can worke two cures first a correction for by-past corruption and after a direction for times to come If God should not scourge vs betimes the reigning of the flesh should proue the ruine of the Spirit This was the vtter ouerthrow of the Sonnes of Eli God would not correct them because the Lord would stay thē As for that which ye speake concerning the changing amending of your life your resolution is good But seeing the houre of death is vncertaine it is good that yee bee presentlie prepared Death commeth vpon mā with stealing steps Let no man put far off the day of his death There is great danger that any man sooth himselfe with the vaine hope of this mortall life No man can tell how soone hee shall be arraigned to compeare before Gods Barre None said a Pagane is assured to liue vntill the morrow Nemo tam diuos habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit sibi polliceri It is good therefore daylie and hourelie to bee vpon our Watch-Tower preparing our selues for death which shall either be the end of all our miserie or the beginning of our euerlasting woe delay to prepare for death is a strong threed in the Deuils net A man will not die the sooner that he prepare himselfe to die If a man bee prepared to die and yet die not hoc sibi ponat in lucro that preparation is great aduantage vnto him But if hee die hee hath done that which hee should haue done What a dangerous venture is this to a man to delay to prepare himselfe to die because it may bee that yet hee may liue But may it not also bee that hee die It is a dangerous thing to perrell our Saluation vpon a may be which may as well no bee It is fearefull to bee hanged ouer Hell with the euill twined threed of a life that must end none can tell how where nor when No man is exeemed from this necessitie The post Pale Horse wherevpon Death is mounted caries his Rider thorow all Nations Cities and Houses pulling out of their beds Princes Prelats and priuate men without any respect of persons thus are their hopes cropped in their fairest flower It is good therefore that wee euer bee vpon our gard God offereth grace to day To day if yee heare his voyce But who promiseth to morrow well is him that feareth alwayes The sicke Man O the terrours of Death and of the Graue mine heart quaketh while I remember of these last strugglings that are in death It was not without reason that the Pagans called it terribilium terribilissimū of all fearefull things the most fearefull The Pastour If men knew what Christ hath made of Death the liuing would not be so afraid with the feare therof Isaiah saith that hee hath put it into his Stomacke hee hath swallowed it vp in victorie A wife man will not swallow ouer that which hee is not able to digest Christ hath swallowed Death and hath digested it perfectlie Nowe Death after Christs digestion hath lost all its poyson and is turned into a sleepe The name thereof is changed for to tell vs of the change of its nature Dead Lazarus in Christs language is called sleeping Lazarus Lazarus Our Friend sleepeth said Christ speaking of his death Hee that liueth and beleeueth in mee said Christ shall neuer die Death is not death to the Friends of Christ but a sleepe to their bodie a translation of their Soule from a prison to a Palace As by the grace of God it is made an Exodus of miserie so is it a Genesis of a better life the corruption of one thing beeing the generation of another What is this that men should so feare Death which is the end of the foule cōbersome way of our Pilgrimage Hath not God made death like a Chariote to a wearied man for to carie him to his euerlasting rest This was seene in a visible figure when Elijah in a firie Chariot went vp by a whirle wind vnto heauen The sicke Man All that is true Sir But yee know that death is fearefull to all flesh So soone as it commeth it maketh a Soule lyable to yeeld an acoūt for all the actions of the by-past life The bodie and the Soule are of olde acquaintance and haue not wil to part one frō the other I cannot expresse what a worsling I finde within mee there is such a working feare about mine heart that I tremble to thinke vpon it This maketh my words to wade in teares mine heart is cut with sobs of sorrow O death the enemie of Life is there no comfort against thee Is there no Balme in Gilead Of force then must I die The Pastour The woman of Tekoah said verie well Wee must all needes die and are as water spilt on the ground which can not bee gathered Death is an vnauoidable passage there is none entrie vnto Heauen but by it I will striue to let you see before that yee enter in at the doores of Death that your Soule hath no such cause to be afraide Indeed I confesse that death to these that know not Christ is indeede a most fearefull thing according to this Sathan said Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will giue it for his life See how a Naturall man would bee content that his skinne were pulled off him if it could bee a ransone for to saue his life Such is the feare of death that for to bee free of it a man would giue his skinne Agag called it a bitter thing Surelie said he The bitternesse of death is past The wilde Gourdes shred into the Prophetes pottage for bitternesse were called Death So soone as they had tasted them all cryed Death is into the pot The bitter torments of Hell are called so great a Death Dauid speaking of the pangs of death calleth them waues The waues of death cōpassed me See how death is compared to a raging Sea with rolling waues To this Dauid subjoynes The snares of death preuented mee Death indeed is fearfull armed with waues snares We in our weaknesse make it also fearfull painting it with bare bones with a skul girning with its teeth and with its sting like a flooked Dart for to pierce thorow the heart of man It is true that death is bitter in it selfe but hee that made sweetnesse to come out of the strong and meate to come out of the eater can bring both meate and sweetnesse out of death for the Christian Soule though no thing bee stronger than death the greatest eater of the world One saith well that there is in death but one bitter morsell to swallow The cheefe course that wee haue to tak for to win to
anima mea egredere quid dubitas Egredere quid times His multis annis Christo Domino servisti ad huc mortem timebis O anima insignita Dei imagine decorata similitudine desponsata in fide dotata in spiritu redempta sanguine deputata cum Angelis capax beatitudinis haeres bonitatis rationis particeps quid tibi cum carne qua haud aliud vilius sterquilinium invenisti Augustin Vita haec misera est mors incerta si subito obrepat quo hinc exibimus Et ubi nobis discenda sunt quae hic negleximus Annon potius hujus negligentiae supplicia luenda sunt TEMPVS IN OPVS CVM VIventibus tum Morientibus vtilissimum A. D. ZACHARIA BODIO Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastore adornatum AD LECTOREM Epigramma FOElix qui sancte potuit traducere vitam Et tandem extremum Sanctè obijsse diem Haec duo qui didicisse cupis tibi pandit vtrumque Hic Liber hunc animo volue revolue tuo Ad Authorem Libri distichon ejusdem Qui calamo qui voce doces vitaque perennè Vivore in aeternum vivito ZACHARIA IOHANNES BELVS Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastor Academiae RECTOR AD VIRVM PIETATE Et eruditione praestantem D. ZACHARIAM BODIVM GLASGVENSIS Ecclesiae Pastorem de praeparatione ad mortem postquam ex deplorato morbo convaluisset Scribentem ERGO te nuper mortis de faucibus atrae Ereptum nobis reddidit Omnipotens Vt Doctus moriendi artem expertusque doceres Qua datur aetheream transitus adpatriam Qui bene vivendi toties praecepta dedisti Doctrinae reserans horrea plena sacrae Foelix Zacharia Doctor Sanctisima cuius Vox pariter Scripta consona vita docent IOHANNES STRANGIVS S. S. Theologiae D. Accademiae Glasguensis Praefectus IN DIVINA INTEGERrimi viri D. ZACHARIAE BODII Ecclesiastae non è multis meditamenta cum è desperatâ valetudine ad pristinam salutem revaluâ—…rat FRustra veternum sollicitas meum Bodi Thaliae ad munta barbitos Obmutet exurdante nostras Voce Scholae strâ—…perâ Camoenas Iam colligendas sarcinulas monet Quae vulsit aurem Mors modo pallida Laureta Cyrrhae Musicasque Thespiadum fugito choreas Tu perge Homeri carminis alite Laudande quò te mens ammi vocat Qui baccare lauro revinctos Castalio lavis amne crines Fatalis ex quo crudâ Hecates manu Attonsa pene est caesaries tibi Fato superstes reditusque Incolumis renovas duellum De morte partam appendis adoream Vtque Hydra secto corpore fortior Crevit revîxti ter triumpho Clarior spolijs opimis Qualis Caystri fluminis accola Morti propinquus dulciter incinit Melos supremum talis ista Naenia quâ superos remulces Macte indole istâ macte faventiâ Excude fructus uberis ingenî O aureum vere libellum Melle sacro sale temperatum Hoc amoris ergò scribebat Io. Rayus ludi publici litterarii Móderator Edinburgi THE LAST BATTELL of the Soule in death diuided into eight seuerall Conferences The first dayes conference Of carnall and worldlie temptations The sicke man MY Bodie is sicke my Soule is wounded Gods wrath is fearefull it burneth to the bottome of Hell The heate thereof already maketh my Soule to sweate I can find no Skrine or Sconce to set betweene mee and this fire Oh in all appearance I shall shortlieâ—…ee dissolued for to be brought before that great Tribunall Alas what terrours are these Sinne Sicknesse Death the Graue and an vnprepared Soule I tremble all like Belshazzar Mine heart is entangled with feares my knees shiuer and smite one against another Mine heart is pricked while I remember mine euill spent life While I had time to doe good I was of the frozen Generation Nowe Gods glowmes like Boanarges Sonnes of Thunder armed with fierie furie make heart and Soule to melt and to fall downe in droppes within my bowles Oh for a drop of water for to coole the boyling heate oâ—… mine heart Is there no man heere that can affoord me a word of comfort for to vphold mine heart into this heauie houre A spirituall Friend Sir I thinke it expedient that ye send for your Pastour the man of God that beareth the keyes of â—…he Kingdome of heauen It may bee that the good God shall put some words of comfort into his mouth whereby your wearied Soule shall bee refreshed* while the chosen Servants of God speake his words to the fainte heart the Lord putteth foorth a power to enable them to doe all that wherfore they are spoken So soone as S. Peter had spoken to the lamed man his feete and ancle bones receiued strength Though miracles cease now yet this shall bee true so long as the world standeth The effectuall feruent prayer of a rightcous man auaileth much Will it please you Sir that I goe for to fetch him The sicke Man Hee shall bee welcome vnto mee But alas while I might I frequented him too little I haunted rather the coÌ„panie of these that delighted mee with sportes and jests whereof now I haue no comfort Because I thought I could repent heereafter I did that whereof I may now repent and whereof indeed as I feare I shall repent but too late â—… This now puts my Soule into the dumps now al my foolish laughters are turned into mourning for I feare exceedinglie to die I tremble and tosse within this bed GOD alone knoweth what shall bee the end of this lingring tryall Goe Sir I pray you and desire the man of God to come and visite a bruised reede and a smoaking flaxe A spirituall Friend I goe for him presentlie I hope before hee leaue you yee shall find this tempest of temptations to growcalme In the meane-time till hee come I pray you to remember that all your paines are but a crosse sent before to crucifie the loue of the world In your greatest distresse striue to bee a Disciple of Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joye that was set before him endured the crosse Bee not discouraged in your greatest smarts For reproofes of instruction are the way of life In your greatest feare remember the joy that is set before you The Pastour Sir hauing knowne of your disease by your godlie friend I am come to see you and to impart vnto you some spirituall comforts While the Soule is sore troubled thereis danger in delay A bruised Spiritis like a bone out of joynt the longer it be let alone the hardlier it is set If I had knowne of your sickenesse sooner I would haue visited you ere now The Sicke Man I rejoyce Sir to see you my Soule euer loued you But alas not as I should haue done If God should but at this time spare my life with the helpe of my God yee should see mee at once a farre changed man The Pastour Come Death come Life God maketh all
for immortalitie vpon the Earth The sicke Man My Soule rejoyceth to heare you Sir proceede I pray you The Pastour Wee haue no great cause to desire to sojourne on earth What are we heere on earth but like poore beggers shute downe to the lowest chambers of the world This low contrie may well be called Cabul as Hiram by disdaine called the dirtie cities of Solomon Be glad noâ—… Sir for to leaue this earth a dirtiâ—… dwelling Step vp the Staire eueâ—… the Ladder of Iaacob that yee may mount vp to your God for to see what hee is doing aboue Well is you who shall heare shortlie the musicke of Angels into that Palace whose pauement is the roofe of alâ—… mortall dwellings O if yee kneâ—… what is there Fye on our ignorance The ChildreÌ„ of God in this worlâ—… are like Lords children sent out to bee fostered into little Cottages oâ—… clay when they are sent for by sicknesse and death their Fathers messengers they weepe to come home to their Fathers Palace because they know not these many pleasant Mansions that bee in their Fathers house But after that they haue once tryeâ—… what it is to bee in Heauen with their God they shall wonder 〈◊〉 their childishnesse Be not Sir lâ—… these fort of men that cannot abidâ—… to heare speake of Death but euen sicken at the name thereof or waxe wroth at the speaker as Ahab fumed at the Prophet because hee spake not good thinges vnto him The sicke Man Hezekiah spake more wiselie while hee was threatned by the Prophet Good said hee is the word of the Lord I pray you to continue your purpose concerning death It is good that wee remember our latter end The Pastour Indeed Sir the thoghts of Death are helpefull and healthfull to the Soules of men to bee corrections for their corruptions Such thoughts keepe euer God in our sight They are like a strainer wherthrough the thoughts wordes and workes of men are purified Hardlie can a man thinke of a shoâ—…t life and thinke euill as hardlie can hee dâ—…eame of a long life thinke well All the sinnes of Gods Church in Icremâ—…es dayes vvere imputed vnto this that shee remembred not her end Wee for the most part deceiue our selues vvith the opinion of long life and so did they vvho are dead alreadie O how gracious vvould one day bee to these novv who vvhile they liued did scorne at these vvordes Redeeme the Time But their maâ—…ket time is now past Gods Faire vvas ended before they could vnderstand vvhat it vvas to buy without money Well is the man vvho vvhile he hath time so liueth to dye that hee may dye to liue If our life be good our death cannot be euill To the godlie man death is a comfort as beeing a medecine for all his diseases a cure for all his cares a restâ—… from his labours But in this is his greatest joye that by it the filthie flooxe of sinne is dryed vp into an instant * By it also the prison doore is opened that the Soule like a Doue may flie vp to its God The consideration of such things made Solomon to preach The day of death is better than the day that one is borne Hee spake the trueth for the one is the beginning the other is the ending of all our woe and miserie Now Sir before that I proceede any further I pray you to tell mee what yee thinke now of this world In this as I remember was your last temptation grounded that going out of this world yee should no more see nor bee seene I haue let you see as in a glasse what vanitie is in it yea that all is but vanitie of vanities the verie abstract of an abstract or for to speak so vanitie fined and quintessenced out of vanitie which I may call the spirit or quintessence of vanitie Now Sir tell me what ye thinke of this world wherin gods must die like men No worldlie thing below in the day of neede will bee able to keepe touch vnto vs. The sicke Man Fye fye on my faultes and my folie I foolishlie once thought that I should feather a nest into this world that should neuer bee pulled downe Mine heart hath beene so bent toward this vanitie that I haue neither moued foote nor finger toward eternall Life It is true that I haue beene nourished and brought vp into this world like a Child into a rurall cottage I like a Child thought that there was no better Ionah was angrie for to quite his Gourd The greatest pleasures that are heere beeing well weighed are but like the shadow of that Gourd euanishing and worme-eaten pleasures All such comforts are but slender they faile man in his greatest neede The Pastour Though worldlie pleasures be sweete for a space to these whose portion is into this Life yet as Abner said of the deuouring Sword to Ioab It will bee bitternesse in the latter end In all the gourdes of worldlie pleasures are wormes of paine which shall make them to wither The sicke Man That is most certaine well is him that hath turned his backe to all such lying vanities So long as a man is in nature not reformed by grace hee is but a stranger from heauen The loue of the world in his heart like a moth cats out all liking of Heauen I haue beene too long alas sucking the breastes of this Nourse whereout of I haue drawen nothing but the swill of wickednesse Blessed bee my God who hath sent this affliction for to waine my Soule from the loue of all things below I beginne now to incline for to returne to my Fathers house in Heauen where as I heare it shall bee much better for mee Oh forlorne Sonne that I am who haue wandered so farre from my Father The Pastour I thanke God Sir for these good motions flesh and blood cannot teach such lessons But one word I haue obserued into your speach yee haue said that ye beginne to incline to goe home to your Father Are ye not as yet fullie resolued Desire yee not indeede presently to be dissolued Is it not your greatest desire to flitte fâ—…om this bodie which is but a Booth a Shoppe or Tabernacle of clay Is not your Soule wearied to sojourne into such a reekie Lodge Is not your heart panting after God lâ—…ke an Hart panting after the water brookes He are yee not your Soule crying within you O when shall I come and appeare before God A small feeble inclination to goe to God is not sufficient ye must now come to a stedfast resolution He who is not resolued is not readie for to be dissolued Taâ—… courage bee not dashed into this danger declare your mind freely be not nice there bee none heere but friendes The sicke Man I am so pyned with sicknesse that hardlie can I
in the dumbe choppe of the conscience The Pastour As I perceiue ye are in the storme of temptations As the shippe in a tempest goeth with a low saile So is it good and most sure in the tempest of temptations to take downe the top sailes of our owne worth But yet Sir in your humilitie beware to disprise and set at nought the graces of God that are within you Vertue standeth in the midst As the Publican would not brage vainlie with the Pharisee that he was not like other men so neither would hee desperatlie say with Cain Mine iniquitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen The sicke Man Alas Sir yee know not what weight hangeth vpon mine heart ye are not priuie vnto my secret sinnes which I thinke shame to vtter O these gnawings of my wormish Conscience hardlie can yee imagine what filthie thoughts haue beene into my heart since I came into this world Hitherto they haue all beene hidde from mine eyes But now I thinke that I see all my sinnes set in order before mee My Soule is poisoned with the stinke of such corruptions I abhorre my selfe and what wonder that God abhorre mee The Pastour The more a man abhorreth himselfe God who is milde mercifull loueth him the better It is good for a man to stinke in his owne nose A wicked man may bee well compared to the Latin Cimex French Punaise Tree Lice that stinke most vilelie and yet feele not the stinke of their own breath Laodicea thought her selfe happie and yet God said that he wold spew her out of his mouth Gods thoughtes are not mans thoughts Yee complaine Sir of the filthines of your bygone thoughts it is well done But heere is your comfort Now is that fountaine of God in Zachrie opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Though through sin yee were lepper in soule as Na◅man was in bodie the Iordan of Christs Blood is able to mak you cleane The precept is not of hard practise Wash and bee cleane belieue and bee saued If yee would haue the Spirit of God to take a Chamber into your heart keepe your hearte cleane Gods house must be a cleane house it must often bee sweept If the dust or dirt of sinne defile the pauement thereof it must first bee watered with the teares of repentance The stoure dust must be laid with holie water then wee must sweepe out all filthinesse with the besome of godlie reuenge This doing Sir God shall delight to dwell in you If Sathan blow at the juniper coales of your sinnes kindled with sparkles of fierie wrath runne with the Bucket of Faith to the Blood of Iesus which is onelie able for to quenche that flamme The sicke Man My cheekes are watered with teares trickling downe both day and night * my moist eyes are soked in this salt brimie water O but they are comfortlesse teares The Pastour God at last shall make them comfortable like the bowle full of dewe which Gideon wrāg out of his Fleece Gods signe of Israels Saluation Haue patience a little Sir and your waterie eyes shall receiue the other dryē signe of the fleece all your teares shall bee dryed and wyped away so that yee shall neuer weepe any more The houre is fast comming that God shall wipe away your teares the waters of your weeping after that there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor paine Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call vpon him while hee is nigh To him alone in Iesus must yee haue all your recourse on him alone must yee relye The sicke Man I wote not where to goe I can neither sitte stand nor lye Mine heart alas is hardened yea hard like the heart of the Leuiathan which is hard like a piece of the nether milstone I thinke that such hardnesse is from the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Pastour It is a sort of softnesse when we feele our owne hardnesse He who hath begun such softning will bring his own work to perfectiō in his appointed houre The seedes of grace are like Corne they are not ripe the first day they are sowen but ripen by degrees From this is that saying Grace requyreth space or in space commeth Grace A reprobate sense is not so neare at anie time as when it is least suspected and most neglected Say in all patience with the Prophet Micah I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon you Hee will subdue your iniquities cast them in the depths of the sea Holde vp your heart toward the Father of Lights the giuer of euerie good gift Let your foule flee vp to the Throne of his Grace The sicke Man My Soule is not fit for fleeing to the Heauens It is lik a pulled foule that wanteth the feathers It may well nod with its head and make a mint with the stumpts of its wings but can by no meanes hoise it selfe from the Earth All my comforts are clipped from me Sinnes heauy like milstones are hung about my necke Oh that I were cast into the sea with my sinnes there to be buried for euer farre if it were possible from the presence of my God Since yee came to mee mine heart was not in such a plounge of miserie as it is now There is nothing within me but wrath and woe warring against my Saluation Gods heauie hand hath distressed mine heart wonderfullie My Soule is so besieged with temptations that it may well be called Magor missabib feare round about This I feare that my name bee crossed out of the Booke of Life The Pastour I remember of a wise counsel which a learned Diuine gaue to a man sore assaulted vpon his death-bed with the temptations of the deuil When thou art tempted of Satā said he seest no way to escape euē thē plainly close vp thine eyes and answere nothing to his temptations But commend thy cause to God This said hee is a principall point of wisedome that we must follow in the houre of death That is That we daine not to giue Sathan an answere but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee Sathan If thy flesh tremble and feare to enter into another life and if it doubt of saluation if thou yeeld to these things thou hurtest thy selfe therfore close thine eyes as before and say with S. Stephen Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and then certainelie Christ will come vnto thee with all his Angels and bee the guider of thy way At the entrie of the red Sea when Israel enuironed on both sides with mountaines hauing the sea before and the Egyptians behind could see no meanes of escape Then Moses said to Israel The Lord shall fight for you and yee
of the godlie and of the wicked to men in a dreame One man that is lyen downe in his bed hungrie without his supper will dreame that hee is at a feast making good cheare But while hee awaketh his Soule is emptie his dishes flee away with his dreame It is so that it fareth with a wicked man whose Conscience is in a dreame Hee will imagine that assuredlie there is nothing but Heauen for him Hee will thinke with the hungrie dreamer that hee is readie presentlie to sit downe at table euen at that Table with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Now while hee is euen at the sitting downe which is at the houre of his death his Conscience wakeneth and hee is found emptie Thus all his dishes fl◅eth away with his dreame Againe another man shall dreame of fearefull thinges viz. that hee is in the midst of his enemies readie to bee slaine If any be waking in the bedde with him hee will heare him into his sleepe sighing and sobbing with a sore mone But so soone as hee is wakened he findeth himselfe in suretie lying vpon a bed of downe It is euen so that it will often fare with a godlie man whose Conscience is in a dreame His heart will bee burdened with griefe as with a night mare Hee will imagine that God is become his enemie and that assuredlie he will cast him into hell Now while hee thinketh that hee is euen at the fall and while for feare thereof in his sleepe hee is making his mone God in mercie wakeneth him softlie and loe hee is lying into the armes of his God At last it fareth with the godlie the wicked as it fareth with Pharaohs Butler and his Baker after their dreames the one was restored to his office but the other was hanged The Sicke Man I wish at God that my Conscience were in such a Dreame and that all my troubles were but some spirituall night Mare a disease that is cured by wakening the Soule that sleepeth I know that the spirituall senses of the Soule may bee some times couered with a vaile of grosse dulnesse But I cannot suspect or surmise that this can be a dreame Behold I speake I heare I see I sauour Howe then can this bee a dreame The Pastour He who dreameth will thinke all that He will think that he speaketh that hee heareth seeth and walketh and runneth leapeth ouer brinkes or ditches vvhile indeede he is snorting vpon his bed Yea in his dreame he will think that his dreame cannot bee a dreame but that surely hee is broad awake This cannot bee a dreame hee will thinke euen while as hee dreameth I know Sir that your bodie is surelie awake and not dreaming But in all appearance your Soule is in a slumber The Lord waken you softlie in his mercie The sicke Man If I dreame the Lord vvaken mee soone out of this dreadfull dreame I am filled with a world of woes euerie thought is as it were a thorne thrust into mine heart My feares are like the feuers they goe by fits A litle since I thought that my blood was calmed and that I had some respit Of my sinnes I had but a shallow sense but now behold a new fit of greater force vvhich maketh all the powers of my Soule to shiuer All my sinnes are in Gods quarrell vp in armes against me Gods vvrath followeth mee with a full faile and chargeth mee a fresh with bloodie blowes * While I was but breeding this feuer I was but chained with vvorldlie enchantments All my trouble vvas but for Bairnes Lands Children Houses and other perishing pleasures triffling troubles vvhich I could not for a long space resolue to forsake But now is paine in stead of pleasure a sowre and bitter sauce prepared for Adams sweete Apple feare shame and remorse What recks to vvant pleasure if so be there were no paine I vvould not giue a flee for the vvorld and all the pleasures or profite that therein is if I could once bee reconciled to my God Mine heart is like an Anuile wherevpon the Lord striketh most fiercelie with the hammer of his wrath There is not a power of my Soule which is not loaden with blowes All my distresses hitherto haue beene but light skirmishes now I am come to the maine Battell My Soule is hunted to and fro like a Partridge on the mountaines Who is on my side Who The Pastour The Lord is vvith you though ye perceiue him not This is incident to the faithfull not euer to knovv vvhen God is with them Gideon was a man renouned for his Faith he vvas one of the Catologue of the faithfull yet while the Angel said vnto him The Lord is with thee thou mightie mā of valour hee answered Oh my Lord if the Lord be with vs why then is all this befallen vs See hovv the man of God knew not that God vvas vvith him Take courage Sir seeing the skirmishes are past and that yee are come to the maine Battell God shall bee your maine helpe Come out against all your enemies as Dauid came out against Goliah in the Name of the God of Battels and Lord of Armies There is no Corslet of proofe against a stone cast out of a sling in the Name of the great IEHOVAH Resist the Deuill and hee shall flee from you The sicke Man Gods vvrath hath heate the fierie Fornace on seuen times more thā it was of before I am so dashed with the sense of my sins so pierced with stinging feares that thereby all the powers of my Soule are shaken Hithereto I haue beene crossed with care for my life and for my Children What care I now for my dearest Children Would to God that I might giue my first borne for my transgression and the fruite of my wombe for the sinnes of my Soule Behold heere a poore distressed and distracted sinner who knoweth not to what hād to turne him All the enemies of my Saluation pursue mee with hue and with cry The great God of Iustice hath set vp a Gibbet into my Soule All the terrours of the Lord muster against me I am galled and goared with sinfull feares as Egypt was plagued with Flies Frogges Mine heart is filled with dismaiednesse my bellie trembleth rottennesse is entered into my bones While I had time to repent I willinglie wallowed into the myre of sinne wherin now I necessarilie stick Feare driueth Hope draweth I am tossed like a Tenice ball O the straitnesse of that account which I am shortlie to bee called vnto O that terrible Tribunall O these chaines of darknesse in which sinners shall be reserued vnto Gods last Sessions Who can stand in such a tempest where the creature hath a combat with God and with his wrath hand
absent yet be not for that disquieted his Godhead is present Hee himselfe hath said concerning his bodily presence that it was expedient for vs that hee should goe away As for the weaknes of your Fa◅th pray God to strengthen it Faith though it bee little yet it is of great force a graine of it will cast a mountaine into the sea The Sicke Man Let mee see I pray you Sir anie particular example of a weake Faith sauing anie man The Pastour Of this in Scripture wee haue a cloud of witnesses I shall let you see two one in substance the other in type or figure That of Peter in the New-Testamēt is substantiall Christ called him a man of little Faith and yet by that Faith though little hee was saued The other is in the old Testament in the type and figure When the Israelites were bitten with the fierie Serpents their onely refuge and remeede was to looke vp to the brasen Serpent This was the verie type of a Soule stung with sinne beholding Christ with the eye of Faith Of these who behelde that Serpent of brasse some were bleared and other some had weake eyes But the weaknesse of their sight could not hinder the cure Nay the old man with his dimmed eyes beholding as through a mist that type of Christ was as soundlie cured as hee whose eyes were in their greatest vigour The meate taken with a paralitique and trembling hand will not refuse nourishment to the bodie no more than if it were taken with a stable hand Obserue Sir what I say Faith is the eye of the soule wherof the Israelites eyes were but a figure Christ is the trueth of the brasen Serpent Though this eye bee dimmer in some yet if it see the Soule shall bee saued Faith is the hand of the Soule Christ is the foode Though this Faith tremble Christ trembleth not The palsie is not into the foode Bee of good courage Sir feare not this trembling feare the worke of Saluation cannot bee wrought out but with feare and trembling When the worke shall bee ended all trembling shall cease and Faith shall bee stable then the Soule shall be made free from all palsie paine The sicke Man Oh that I were but sicke of such a palsie paine Oh that I were assured to haue anie graine of true Faith Alas I am vndone This wretched heart of mine is so wrung with wrath that there remaineth not within it so much as a droppe of grace All my spirituall moisture is spent all the faculties of my Soule are so racked that my tongue cannot vtter my griefe and smart Is there no Balme in Gilead for a sorrow beaten sinner Oh through excessiue paine my Liuer is rolled within mee If I finde no remeede my Soule shall shortlie bleade to death my paines exceed my sorrow is extreme thorow the tortours thereof my Soule is compelled to roare Oh Lord turne thy wrath in mercie and thy Iustice seat in a Throne of grace and pardon the sins which more and more ripen thy wrath against mee Mine heart is rent and harrowed with griefe what salue can I finde fit for such sinfull sores The more I thrust griefe out the more it throngeth in The Pastour The soueraigne salue for such sores is to get a sight of Christ who bare all our sinnes vpon his battered backe which was torne with mercilesse strippes Christ in that plight is the most fit object for the eye of a troubled Soule There is no salue for the sore of sin but the sight of him who is the trueth of that brasen Serpent the object of the faithfull eye This remeede among all others is like the master Bee the best of all the hyue * Though yee bee like Zacheus a man of little stature so that yee cannot see Christ ouer the multitude of your sins yet run before climbe the tree of the Crosse and behold him No rather behold him now vpon the Crosse fixed vpon a mount high aboue that all may see him euen vpon mount Caluarie Behold him there treading death vnder his feete * Though there be a mount of dead mens scules there is no dead scule so high but Christ may bee seene aboue it Christ is euer nearest in the hotest skirmish He is the sea the seate of mercie If yee can seeke yee shall finde no scant of mercie into him ye shall wonder at his loue when yee shall relish his kindnesse To Christ then yea to Christ alone must ye runne and forsake all as the Mariner while all his cunning is gone runneth to God in the tempest In him is Balme for all wounded spirits there is no gash so deepe but his blood can cure it As all riuers lead to the sea so should all comfortes guide vs vnto Christ While hee was in the dayes of his flesh there was no miserie that could with-hold sinners from him neither lamenesse nor blindnesse nor deafenesse nor deuils could stay any from him nor stay him to doe them good hee healed them all Neuer a man came backe from him saying I haue sought to this God in vaine I came to him but he could not helpe me Or as the father of the lunaticke said I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him To him may all heart broken sinners say with the Prophet My flesh and mine heart faileth but thou art the strength of mine heart and my portion Flesh and friends health and wealth and all will faile vs but Iesus will neuer faile vs Mans extremitie is his opportunitie By him alone the Soule of man hath light libertie and life All other helpes and hopes are but vaine As no water could wash cleanse the leprosie but one lie Iordan so nothing can wash away the leprosie of sinne but the Blood of Christ the Lambe of God which is a spirituall Iordan for washing of leper Soules In a word in all our stormy troubles Christ Iesus is a firme Rocke of refuge which repelleth and turneth into froth all the waues of most tēpesttuous temptations By his Blood alone our Soules are both healed hallowed vpon the right of your redemption sute the remission of your sinnes Bee not abashed hee who hath Christ needeth not to feare The sicke Man If I were one of Christs would he leaue mee thus wise comfortlesse He is the Sunne of Righteousnesse in whose beames as in a spring time I was wont to rejoyce But now hee is gone downe My Soule is benighted and I am affrighted with grudginges of despaire Oh that mine eyes of flint were melted into teares O smite my flintie heart with the rod of thy mercie that it may make teares the water of repentance to gush out at the Conduite pypes of my mourning eyes O what
clearelie seene vnmasked and vnwizored yea stript starke nacked of all their cloakes of craftinesse What haue they thought or wrought it shall bee sought and found The Lord by the light beames of his eyes Sonnes of thunder and of lightning shalâ—… seeke and scearch thorow the secrets of all hearts after that manner wherof Zephaniah hath written At that time saith the Lord will I search Ierusalem with lamps and visite the men that are frozen in their dregâ—… and say in their heart The Lord will neither doe good nor euill Then shall bee seene who sported in Meshech and who ruffled in the tents of Keâ—…ar contented themselues with painted and guilded graces After that the Lord hath found out with this light all their abominations and hath set them in order before them then shall hee cry Ah I will case mee of mine aduersaries That said hee shall fling contempt vpon their faces The wicked then shall bee so pined with such pinches yea so astonished as that no tong can expresse They who while they had time to repent would not shed a teare for to get Gods mercie would then when the Sun-shine of their glorie is past be glad to please God by powering out the dearest drops of their blood into teares wherewith they might bath the feete of Iesus O the terrors of that day That day shall bee moste fearefull it shall bee like a day of Battell wherein nothing is to be heard but noise squeaking yellings nothing to be seene but gaping of wounded men and tumbling of garmentes into blood al these who on earth were rotten at the heart shal be ranked in the number of that bashfull band O what vnspeakable feares and tremblinges shall then seaze vpon these wretched soules In all partes they shall bee wounded Three restlesse plagues Sorrow Shame and Feare shall continuallie nettle them till an heaped treasure of wrath come rushing vpoÌ„ them with breath of kindled Iuniper Sathan shall continuallie flâ—…sh in their face fire whose flammes shall beefed with riuers of Brim stone kindled with an euerlasting wrath The great God with the Hammer of his vengeance shall strike thorow the rebellious loynes of their pride and shall breake the yron sinews of their obstinacie Then would they giue a world for an hole in heauen for to relish the least pleasures that be there No tongue of man or Angel can fullie expresse the least part of these woes Manie millions of their earthlie pleasures shall bee deare boght with one minute of such paines Their best shall bee the â—…rie contrarie of that which they like best For all shall goe to all Reeling shal be their rest paines their pleasures mourning shall bee all their mirth and their Bone musicke shall be but gnashing of teeth euen in the presence of their Iudge before whom they shall stand lik abominable monsters and spectacles of amazement Thus as is well said in the Psalme The way of the wicked hee turneth vp side downe At the first dash he shall break in pieces the claspes haspes of their foolish hopes wherein once boldlie they did sinne that grace might abound The sicke Man O how fearefull shall their condition bee while like Tinder before the fyrereadie to bee consumed they shall stand araigned before the Barre of Gods justice with the volumes of their sinnes written in Letters great like mountaines so that euery eye may read them The Lord as I think out of a sower seuere imperious austeritie shall behold that cursed band with glauncing eyes of vnuterable wrath wherefrae shall come nothing but wilde fyre brim-stone and gun-powder for the euerlasting firing of their Conscience Not onelie shall the Lord behold their vilanies but to all eyes that euer saw sight hee shall anatamize their guilefull heartes wherein all their most filthie plottes and deuices shall bee seene vnto their euerlasting shame and infamie O what shame and confusion of face O what feares and tremblings shall seaze vpon these who on earth for a point of their hose would bee at daggers drâ—… wing with the greatest Then shall these who were bold to sinne in their life despising God and his threatnings Then shall they shake and quake like a man whose neck is laide vpon the blocke waiting for nothing but the dead stâ—…ok from the instrument of death Theâ—… 〈◊〉 their comfort shall bee turned 〈◊〉 confusion Then shall they know howe foolishlie they conceiued an imaginarie Hell while pressed down vnder a sinnefull load the wrath of God like a Mile-stone shall cruch them downe to the deepes of despaire where one sorrow succeeding shall foreuer presse at the heeles of another The Pastour O these vnspeakable terrours It is most certaine that Belshazzar neuer did speake so while hee saw the hand writting on the wall as the wicked these doolefull wights shall doe when they shall stand before God with the Bookes of the Law Gospel and of Consciences laide open before them Horrours shall bee heaped vpon them with terrours torments wherof a created Nature can be capable O then what gâ—…ashing of teeth and volumes of woes They shall bee so soacked in teares and facaked with sorrowe that who shall see them shall see the veâ—…ie image of Death and yet none shall pitie them There shall they stand script starke nâ—…cked before their ludge â—…ik criminals vpon the pannell looking for nothing but present condemnation both of soulâ—… and bodie which God shall make the eternall fuâ—…ll of euerlasting flaâ—…es The Soule and bodie combined mates in miserie shall mourne for euermore The sicke Mâ—…n O Lord season my Soule with the graces of thy Spirit reuiue it with the spirituall vigour Let mee liue the life of the righteous and let mine end bâ—…e like vnto theirs I haue heard you Sir with great attention declare that when Christ shall sitte downe to judge hee shall separate the wicked from the Godly as Goates from the Sheepe and that the wicked with all the hoast of hell lapped vp in that same bundle of condemnation shall sâ—…and at his left hand and that the Godlie shall litte vpon Thronos at his right hand Nowe I desire to knowe of you what shall bee the case of the Godly at the right hand before that the ludgement bee pronounced The Pastour It hath beene tolde you that the Wicked who on Earth made the world to tremble with their boisterous brags shall at Gods Left hand bee standing in disgrace discount discountenance with their Iudge There shall they stand all trembling hauing before them the Booke of the Lawe where they shall see all their Sins of Thoughts Words Workes While their guilted Consciences shal be crying guiltie within them at the sight of the Lawe Booke of their transgressions the Lord for to aggrauate their griefe shal present before them the Book of the Gospel wher they shall see how by vnbeliefe they haue sinned against the
their sinnes dreaming of saftie and suretie euen then their judgement lingreth not and their damnation is not in a slumber This shall they know by sense and feeling when Gods most fierie jealousie shall breake foorth vpon them like the sorrowes of a woman in trauell No sorrow can be heere like vnto their sorrowes Fire chaines rackes and lashing whips cannot expresse the shadow of one infernall tor tour All the woes that euer were heard on earth are nothing to the least of these vnpittied plaints The sicke Man I haue one question for to propound to you It is concerning the order of Christes proceeding into Iudgement What reason is there thinke ye that the Iudge in that day shall first absolue the godlie by bidding them Come with his Fathers bl◅ssing before that he speake a word vnto the wicked whose hearts in their life-time for the most parte were sealed vp by the spirit of slumber The Pastour I finde two probable reasons first because the great God of mercie is more bent to shew mercie toward his creatures than to powre vengeance vpon them and that for to teach all Iudges to execute Iustice with Grauitie and griefe Beholde heere howe our God while hee is euen come vnto the last periode giueth vnto the wicked who in their life with Whoorish fore-heads out faced the Sunne behold I say how hee giueth them a certaine respite and a delay from Hell in that space while hee is speaking vnto the Godlie And yet the more slowlie hee striketh the surer shall hee sette his blow which shall shake euerie sinew of their bodie and each power of their Soule The other reason wherefore he speaketh first to the Godlie such words of comfort and of comming is that the wicked who in the dayes of their vanitie combined sport with spight against him may see how good a God hee shall bee to all these which haue serued him heere in Faith and trueth O what shall the trembling Soules of these vvorldlre brates that would not serue Christ in their life thinke when they shall heare that Lord so sweetlie in so sweete heauenly honey vvords say vnto al his Saints his dearest Darlings whom they as out-casts despised on Earth Come yee blessed of my Father come and be all Kings with mee for euer more Come from the ◅awes of Death to the joyes of an euer blessed Life Such wordes shall make the heartes of the Godlie to daunce and leape within them for joye but shall make the heartes of the wicked to droope and to bleede for sorrow O what would Diues in the fyre boyling Lacke then giue for to bee in the place of Lazarus Manie Kings of Princelie but prophane blood which haue borne the Crowne and swayed the Scepter aboue the heades of many thousāds being drunke with idolatric Secret murther of their Parents for to sit vpō their Throne shal thē spue and fall but shall neuer rise againe They all drenched in a poole of vvrath shall wish in that day that they had vvept and vvypt the feete of Le◅s with the haires of their head yea that they had beene borne Beggers hauing the Faith and feare of Iesus My heart trembleth to think how so many thousands who deemed dreamed once to bee saued shall with damned Deuils rush downe to the snakie poole of perdition because like Swyne in their life they trampled vnder feete the precious pearle of mercie purchased by the Blood of Iesus The sicke Man After that the sentence shal be pronounced whether thinke yee that the wicked shall first goe to paine or the Godlie vnto pleasure The Pastour It would seeme by the words of the Gospel that the wicked that base brood of corruption to whome Christ hath spokē last shal first goe to torment After that the doome is giuen out with a roaring thūder it is said these shal goe away to euerlasting punishmēt but the righteous vnto life eternal After that the wicked are like chaffe chaissed away to brimstone beames the Armes of Christ and the Gates of Glorie shall stād wide open for to giue entrance to the righteous whō the Father Christ of Iesus shall receiue with most cordiall embracements vnto their euerlasting comfort Blessed are they who nowe cast their bread vpon the vvaters looking neither for thankes nor recompence from men for then they shall bee richlie rewarded by God The sicke Man What reason thinke yee can bee of that order that before the Godlie goe to Glorie the vvicked all in a r◅ue shall bee hurled away to euerlasting punishment beeing thrust downe into the dominions of darknes most fearfull spectacles of amazement O how these so mi◅ie men shal then bee pensiue and perplexed The Pastour This would seeme to be the maine reason viz. For thereby to kindle vp so much the more the loue of the Godlie toward their God The bitter bickering and fearefull squeeles of the Reprobate hurling downe to hell beeing heard and seene by the Godlie shall make the joyes of heauen to relish the sweeter vnto them If while a people were in a Church the Church should fall downe and smother the one halfe not doing any harme vnto the other these who should escape should by beholding the crushed and bloodie bones of others much more be rauished with the joy of such a deliuerance than if the house had not fallen at all When Dathan and Abiram with their companies sanke down to Hell in the sight of all Israel what joye thinke ye had these whom the earth did beare aboue Manie who neuer in their life gaue God thankes for that the sward of the earth hath borne them aboue if they should see such a sight as of Dathan and of Abiram they would regard the benefite the more and would giue God moe thankes for that one mercie than for all by-gane fauours shewed vnto them since they beganne to vvalke vpon the ground Wee thanke God little that the earth beareth vs aboue because wee see it not swallow vp sinners with a gaping gulfe while men see the miserie of others it wakens into them the sense of Gods mercie toward them O how glad shall the Godlie bee then that they haue serued God when they shall see the Deuil his Darnell the wicked seede cast into a fierie Lake when these blessed soules shal see the hels opē the black deuils flashing fire into the faces of the wicked hurling away these damned spirits with fearfull cryes shrikes downe to the dungeons of distresse to most vile Vaults of darknesse entrinched among gnawing wormes stinking Scorpions and hissing Serpents then they who were wont to weepe for the sins of the wicked in this life shal haue no cōpassion on them but shall laugh to see them lashed rejoycing in the justice of their God powred out vpon these that in a selfe liking of their owne estate despised the sweetenes of his mercie O happie
yee vnto mee yee blessed of my Father and receiue a Kingdome Let this consideration beare out in the stormie houre of the last assaults Set a strong Guarde and a narrow watch ouer his heart lest he bee vnawares surprised by Sathans craftie plots Let the Sconce of thy mercie fence off the partching hea◅e of Sathans most fierie temptations kindled in a bone-fire Furnish him now with such grace whereby hee may possesse his Soule in patience looking for that blessed hope and appearing of thy glorie in the cloudes It was long since written by thy blessed Pen-men That the Iudge standeth before the doore and that the end of all things draweth neere Now seeing sin is come to such an hight that thy Iustice cannot much longer forbeare but that thou must come shortlie to put an end to this most corrupt world LORD cleanse quite away all our corruptiōs before thou come Grant that continuallie with the wise Virgines wee may haue our Lampes of oyle trimmed for the comming of our Lord the blessed Bridegroome of our Soules Graunt that in that day with gladnesse wee may lift vp our heades beeing assured of a gracious welcomming vnto our Masters joy Keepe this euer fast in our memorie as an aweband aboue our heades for to keepe vs from sinne that Christ the determined Iudge of the world shal come for to render to euery one according as he or she hath done in the days of their flesh grant therefore that whether we sleepe or we wak the shrill Trumpet of Gods voyce may be as if it were euer sounding to our Soules Arise for to compeare in judgement O LORD enlighten our mistie mindes that with an vndazeled eye euerie one of vs may try and descry clearelie our owne estate in this world In a more speciall manner let it please thee to regard thy poore prisoner heere in this bed of languishing whō Satan hath soght to sift that his Faith might faile Waken his Soule softlie with a mercifull motion of thy Spirit of comfort Let him not bee like these who in a dull dead and senslesse securitie not thinking on Death chop in the earth before that euer they bee awares neither suffer Sathan to quench his clearest comforts with the dampe of despare By this heauie sickenesse which daylie increaseth thou is now Summoning thy seruant here to a perticular and personall compearance before thy great Tribunall Let him finde thy Royall seate to be a mercie seate Proclaime vnto his Conscience in his inward partes that thou wilt neuer enter into judgement with him Assure his Soule that hee is one of thine and that there is no condemnation to these that are in Christ Iesus who vnto all his faithfull is like a little Sanctuarie Let the graces of thy Spirite bee all night like a bundle of Myrrhe into his bosome Seale vp in his heart this comfort that hee who shall bee his Iudge is hee euen hee who is now his Aduocat interceeding at the right hand of the Father for him Giue him strength couragiouslie to fight out this bloodie Battell that in the ende thou may set on his head that neuer fadding Crowne of righteousnesse Let Sathan be now chained vp that hee bee not able any more to set by the eares the corruptions of his nature with the motions of thy grace He confesseth LORD before thee that if presentlie thou should pronounce his doome and suddenlie plunge him in the deepest Hels that righteousnesse in so doing should belong to thee This from his heart would hee acknowledge being willing that thy Name may bee glorified to take to himselfe shame and confusion of face O LORD whose bowels euer rumble with cōpassions raine downe vpon thy seruāts heart here a showre of grace for it is parched and dryed with greiefe and sorrow Pittie him for he abhorreth himselfe as a stained sinner stript of all good things worthie to be crushed vnder the mountaines milstones of thy vengeance Neither dar he neither will he plead against thee for his innocencie Here hee is readie to subscribe all thy will were it with the best arteriall blood of his heart His confessiō is that thou art most just though from thy presence thou should banish him to the blacke lacke and woefull dungeon of darknesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Out of a sore sense aboundance of feeling hee powreth out this most plentifull sincere confession before thee Behold him here Lord opening the bosome of his confession and selfe condemnation before thee O thou whom his Soule loueth tell him where thou feedest and where thou makest thy flocke to rest at noone in the time of parching and most piercing heate of temptations O coole this fainting Soule with thy blessed breath comming from the foure windes Besprinkle it with the sauing and sacred Blood of Iesus Thou LORD who is the chiefe Paterne and examplar of all true Kindnes Pittie Loue Let his groanes and supplications get entrie into thine eares Send downe the Ladder of Iaacob the ministring Spirits for to waite vpon him who is one of thy Redeemed ones that when his Soule shall bee seuered from his bodie they may carrie it into the blessed bosome of Abraham the father of the Faithfull Giue him a sound a Sanctified heart say vnto his Soule as thou said of olde concerning thy beloued Children I will delight to doe him good Take away the trespasse of thy seruant and saue him for hee distrusting his owne worth is now fledde to the hornes of thine Altar euen to the crosse of Iesus the Sanctuarie of troubled Soules As Elishah was first inuested with a single Spirit and thereafter with a doubled Spirit so now in thy tender compassions double thy graces vpon him which were but single of before Let thy fauours falling downe vpon him bee like the raine which falleth first in small droppes and after powreth downe in grea◅ aboundance O quicken and enliuhis Soule with a supernaturall vi gour and life of grace that by no lowring tempest of temptation his holie Faith bee dashed out of countenance Let not his Hope bee like the Spiders webbe which is easilie sweept away with the least blast of winde The weaker his bodie grow increase so much the more his spirituall strength Verifie that Text in him To him that hath shall bee giuen Thou who giuest repentance to the sinner giue pardon to the repenter In the boisterous blasts of most fearfull temptations let his sillie Soule finde a shelter vnder the shadow of thy fauour There is no succour but vnder thy wings from the plagues of God and curses of the Law Thy Blood onelie is able to purge purifie him from the froth and filth of all his iniquities Seeing hee hath dealt vnpartialie with himselfe by condemning himselfe let thy mercie for the sake of thy Sonne his surtiship now absolue him draw out the keen
arrows of thy wrath which thou hast made to stick in his ribbes the poyson whereof hath drunken vp his Spirit O how fearefull haue thy terrours set themselues in aray against him Beginne Lord and continue to slacke thy wrath Be with him now in thy great mercy O LORD and conuoye him by the graces of thy Spirit thorow the snakie field wildernesse of this world wherein hee hath beene like a Pilgrime or a Traueller passing from Towne to Towne till hee come into his Inne where he hopeth by thy mercie to bee exempt from all mixture of miserie Hee is now in the heate of his journey Let some cooling droppes of thy comforts bee send vnto him for to coole and quench his drougth in the scorching heate of this spirituall skirmish Thou who made waters to rush out of the jaw bone for the refreshing of Samson after his fight with the Philistimes giue vnto this wearied soule a drink of that water whereof if a man drink hee shall neuer thirst any more And now seeing in all appearance he is not for to remaine manie dayes vpon this Earth make him to be still looking all the dayes of his appointed time till his changing come grant that when it shall come hee may change for the better and that for the glorie of thy great Name and for the euerlasting rest peace and joye of his sillie sorrow beaten Soule O crush the head and breake the heart of euerie sinne that lurketh within his breast left they choke the Soule of this thy Turtle Doue Bee no more sowre vnto him If thou should appeare grieslie with a sterne countenance vnto sinners how soone should they bee out-faced if thou straitlie m◅iniquitie who shall stand But O mercie is with thee Let that mercie that is with thee come to him wherby all his floating thoughts may bee made to sink soake into the Blood of the Lambe the softner and soupler of stiffe and hardened heartes In the darkest houre of death bee thou the comfort and darlling del◅ght of his heart O Pastour of Israel now put an end to all the cloudie and darke dayes of his distresse Tak in this silly Soule thy little Lambe within the compasse of thine heauenlie folde till it winne there refresh it with a baire in its journey let no meanes bee deficient til in it thou crowne thy graces with thy glorie LORD blesse thy Church vniuersall the deare Spouse of Iesus as they are all members of one Body make them all to bee of one heart that in an heauenlie harmonie they may all thinke one thing Stop the mouth of the red Dragon from spewing out the red bloodie floodes of persecution against Her if not giue Her the winges of Faith whereby Shee may flee to the wildernesse for Her escape O cloth her Priests with Saluation that all her Saints may shout a lowd for joye Giue them one mind and one mouth But alas Icabod where nowe is that glorie Preserue our gracious SOVERAIGNE with his Royall Match Send down a princelie Spirit vpon him Keepe them as the Apple of thine Eye As thou hast bund their bodies into the bond of wed locke so bind their Soules into the bandle of life Make the Heauens to rejoyce at her Majesties conuersion Loue Her LORD as thou loued Lidea by the opening of her heart Make both Crowne and Court seruiceable to thee the greatest Majestie aboue Sanctifie all our Nobles make them lik the men of Berea couragious for the Trueth Plants of renowne Guide vs all in the way of righteousnesse and weane vs from the loue of this Worlde Prepare vs for the last Battell of the Soule Suffer neuer Sathan with the mood of his temptations to trouble or distemper the cleare Riuers of thy comforts wherwith thou refresheth thy beloued Ones Suffer neuer that prince of darknesse to put out with his dampes the glorious Light of thy Gospel which now most orientlie shineth among vs. LORD perfume all our vnwhorthie prayers with the sweete smelling righteousnes of Iesus Christ our Lord Master in whose most blessed Name wee pray as hee hath pleased him to teach vs Our Father which art c. By Gods grace Sir I shall returne the Morrow earelie The Spirit of Iesus print into your heart the best comforts of his Treasures Remember Sir that all our goodnesse is of him for naturallie wee are hewen out of a sinfull rocke All our guises are but guile till we bee cast into another mould by the Spirit of regeneration Striue more and more to bee constant and couragious till this bitter Battell bee ended For euerie Battell of the Warriour is with confused noise and garments rolled in Blood Now the night is fallen downe while deepe sleepe falleth on mē strin◅ to bee acquainted with the Teacher of the reines in the night season If the paine of your sicknes rob your eyes of sleepe cause read vnto you this night Dan. 7. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess. 4. The LORD pul off your Soule al the filthie menstruous cloutes of your corruptions and cloath you with the most rich invaluable Robe of Christs righteousnesse The Lord fill your heart with the inspirations of the Almightie His Grace bee with you THE SIXT DAYES Conference of Heauens Glorie The Pastour ACcording to my promise Sir I am heere come againe for to see what it shall please God to doe with you at last waite constantlie on your God His mind is to doe you good in the latter end I earnestlie now desire to know what the meditation of the last judgement hath wrought into your heart this night bygone The sicke Man Except that a man bee well occupied in the day his heart in the night will swarme with worthlesse witlesse thoughts Sathan the lord of the night is euer busie by secret foisting in of corruptions into mans thoughts to justle out of his heart all holie and heauenlie meditations All this night it seemeth vnto me that I heard the shrill sound of the last Trumpet sounding most fearefullie the Alarum of the Resurrection at the second and sudden comming of our Lord All Saintes and Angels seemed to bee present at that great Iubile I thought in my sleepe that I saw the Sonne of man enuironed with innumberable Charets of fyre comming downe with vnspeakable pompe Glorie and Majestie I thought him more glistering than the Sun while he sbineth in his greatest force Mine eyes were dazeled with the brightnesse of his Beames All thrones made roome vnto his Throne Mine heart was neuer so rauished as it hath bene this last night by-past In the thoghts of mine heart in the night while deepe sleepe falleth on mā there came into my memorie some passages of Scripture concerning heauens glorie wherof most gladlie I desire now to heare The Apostle S. Paul speaketh of this with great power Wee faint not said hee but though our outward man perish
in Thessalonica in that they receiued the word with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daylie whether these thinges were so As for difficulties we acknowledge that there bee many and great in Scripture but as for that which is absolutè simpliciter absolutelie simplie necessarie for our Saluation it is clearelie set down in Scripture if there be any difficulty in one place that which is there obscure will bee made cleare in some other parte of Scripture This much by the way concerning the obscuritie of Scripture Now to come to the wordes of S. Paul In the first verse it is said For wee know that if the earthlie house of this Tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building of God an house â—… made with hand eternall in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some after this manner expourâ—… these words after that this body like a Taber nâ—…ele is takeÌ„ away from 〈◊〉 Soule the Soule shall bee in a beâ—… estate euen in euerlasting Glorie â—… to the Heauens The French marginall note vpoÌ„ this is that that eternall house in the he 〈◊〉 is the bodie after the resurrectionâ—… So long as we are here in the sinfull bodie the bodie is but like a Tubernacle vnconstant weake fraâ—… But in the heauens it shall be like 〈◊〉 house that is constant firme strong So corpus gloriosa ejus conditio the bodie and its glorious estate in thâ—… opinion of some is heere called 〈◊〉 house by that house then wee must vnderstand the glorie that is prepared for the Sainctes in he iuen which for its constancie and commoditie â—… called an house According to thâ—… the Apostle in the secoÌ„d verse saith That wee groane earnestlie desiring to bee cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen That house from heauen is that Glorie which is from heauen Others of the Learned interpret that worde Superindui to bee cloathed vpoÌ„ vt siquis indâ—…tus est thoracâ—… superinduitur pallio Puâ—…o autem sic Explicanâ—…um ex versa 4 Sancti capiunt corpore câ—…lesti it â—… indui vt noâ—… prius exvantur corpore mortaliâ—…sed superinduantur câ—…lesti Sâ—… immortali hoc est â—… per 〈◊〉 transâ—…tationem absorbiator 〈◊〉 ab immortalitate Thus would hee say That the Sainctes beeing huing at the end of the world desired not to cast their mortall bodies from them but desire them to bee changed and cloathed aboue with immortalitie Mortalitie is one 〈◊〉 which must be put off that immortalitie may bee put on Others thinke that there be mention heere made of a double cloathing Alijs placet saith Beza primam vestem dici Christi justitiam alteram vero illius justitiae praemium quorum sententiae nolim praejudicium afferre the one they make to bee the righteousnesse of Christ the other the glorie purchassed by that righteousnesse S. Ambrose speaking of these words In this wee groane c. If so bee that beeing cloathed wee shall not bee found nacked saith Vt haec sit sententia destruendum quidem hoc tabernaculum morte sed ita tamen ut non pâ—…reat Imo ut corruptibilitate deposita restituatur nobis immortalitate induendum That is The Tabernacle of this bodie shal be dissolued by Death not so that it shal perish but that all corruption being taken away it may put on incorruption euen euerlasting glorie For if the bodie did perish then in that case the Soule should bee naked Now while wee are in the Tabernacle of the bodie beeing burdened with sinne and corruption wee grone not desiring to bee vncloathed that is altogether to want our bodie but that putting off the corruptions of the bodie wee may bee cloathed with immortalitie of life which shall swallow vp mortalitie with all cumbers and inconuenients whatsoeuer The Soule of man hath an ardent desire to bee clothed with immortality but hath not will to want its bodie without which it thinketh its selfe naked according to this the Apostle saith In this we groane earnest lie desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from Heauen That is With glorie and immortalitie fast firme like an house If so bee that beeing cloathed wee shall not bee found naked That is Shall not want the cloathing and couering of our bodies The sicke Man My braine is so sore troubled that I cannot bend my Spirits so high for the vnderstanding of these things which are so far aboue my reach Happie is hee who with Dauid is not exercised in great matters which are too high for him Lord inlighten my mistie minde and make mee to know thee and thy Son Iesus Christ and him crucified Lord also helpe mee in the knowledge of all that may increase the knowledge of him into my Soule I haue heard you Sir at large vpon the last judgement and all the proceedinges thereof Yee haue also cleared some difficulties which this night did runne into my minde Nowe lest vaine thoughts should draw mine heart aside vnto toyes let â—…t please you to turne your purpose concerning the joyes of Heauen While I did behold but the outâ—…id of Heauen mine heart was euer rauished at the sight of that Tapestrie embroydred like most glorious Arrasse cloath O what Glorie muste bee within where the Lord himselfe is with all his endenized Citizens of glorie Let me heare you a little therevpon There by the grace of my God I hope to bee within a little space O what place of perfection and blisse my Soule longeth to dwel into that azured Palace Let mee heare of its Glorie The Pastour The prince of Philosophers most subtile in Naturall Science speaking of the heauens said That it was much to get any little knowledge therof All his knowledge câ—…ld reach no further but from motion to motion till hee come to the fiâ—…st Mouer who by the force of his Almightie arme turneth about these relestiall bodies But hee knew no more the great Mov â—… thâ—…n yee would know a man a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpâ—…n the toppe of an Hill displaying aâ—… Ensigne or Standart While the Mouer were casting his Standart yee might perceiue the motion of a Banner and by that motion yee might easilie judge that there bee a Mouer and yet for all that be ignorant not knowing the man who is the caâ—… of all the motion whether he were your foe or your friend The Pagans saw the motions of the heauens as wee see the shaking of a tree moued by the winds I see the Tree shaken and the Branches rushing one vpon another I heare also the noyse I also know that the Mouer is that which wee call the Wind But whence this mouer commeth and whether it goeth or what moueth it no earthlie tongue can tell Pagans which haue not Gospel writteÌ„ in quicke Letters by the dead knowledge of Nature will come from ens to ens that is from beeing to being till they come to ens entium
her Consider well I pray you If the beholding of the glorie of an earthlie Prince so rauished the heart not of a rusticke that will easilie wonder at any thing but of a Queene yea and so that no more spirit remained in her what should it bee if we should get but as through the graâ—… one sight thorow the heauens of that great God of Solomon sitting vpon his Throne If but for the quarter of an houre wee might see the meate of his Tablâ—… and the standing of his seruants the attendance of his Ministers Saincts Angels casting downe their Crownes at his feete if I say wee could see these things as they are this our Spirit shuld be caried toward him witâ—… such a strong bent affection thaâ—… 〈◊〉 should not tarie within vs but being rauished should runne out of this body of clay for to goe abide with him that made it among pleasures perfectlie abstracted from paine If God as hee is should appeare vnto vs were it neuer so little the bonds of our bodies should not be able for to fetter so our Soules but at the first sight of God they with a most flagrant desire should flutter out of sinfull clay for to enjoye his most amiable presence wherein are pleasures exempted from all hazard of surprysall That which I say giueth some light to these wordes which God said to Moses No man can see my face and liue As for the wicked I giue this interpretation that the sight of Gods face shuld kil them as light killeth darknes or as the day is the slaughter of the night But God who killeth not but quickeneth the killed of his owne chosen if by them hee were seene in the face on earth they shuld dye not a violent death but they should die for loue to bee at him At the first sight of his Face their Soules would not remaine any more in clay but loathing their bodies they should make haste for to flie to their God So soone as Steuen saw the Heauens opened the Son of man standing at the right hand of God his Soule tooke post to the heauens Albeit the Burrios thought that they chaised it out with stroakes and with stones yet it is certaine that fra once hee got that sight his Soule was more desirous to bee out of his bodie for loue of Heauen than the Soule of the most wicked man can bee desirous to abide still within for feare of Hell There is such an attractiue loue in Gods countenance that if the Soule in flesh could once see it the bodie should not bee able to keepe it any more within no not for the space of a moment As the load stone draweth vnto it the yron by a secret and vnspeakable draught so in the face of God there is such an attractiue force that of neede force the godlie Soule at the first sight of it must flie vp vnto it As the Sun by the force of his beames raised vp the vapours towardes heauen euen so if God would but turne his face to anie Soule with the least blinke thereof hee should draw vp that Soule vnto himselfe like a vapour raised vp by the force of the Sunne Consider how the sight but of his backe partes maketh many a well resolued Christian to cry vp vnto him Cupio dissolvi I desire to bee dissolued What is that but the faithfull Soule haling like an Hawke for to flie from the mortall heart as from the hand of a stranger for to come home to her Lord in eternitie O thrise happie hee whose name is in the Booke and whose Soule is in the bundle of life O the gaine that wee haue by the mercie of God in the fall of Adam In Paradise man might liue or die On earth hee now liueth and must die But in Heauen wee shall so liue that wee can no more die O blessed life of eternitie neuer to haue an end into that other world Oh that wee could spend this life in a sacred violence in pursute of that celestiall crowne of immortalitie Happie is hee who keepeth a narrow watch ouer all the stirringes and imaginations of his heart in consideration of that day Happie is hee who maketh all his joys pleasures and all his best beloued thinges below to bee by standers waiting on the seruice of that one thing which onelie is necessarie The sicke Man My Soule is so rauished with youâ—… speach that it flutters within mee â—… haleth to bee away from this mortalitie for to goe dwell into these heauenlie Mansions with the God of glorie Our best thinges below in their verie quintessence are defiled with the moode of home bred corruption All haue neede to be renewed in the verie spirit of their minde Let it please you Sir yet to continue in describing the beautie of Paradise The Pastour If man oâ—… Earth could belieue the beautie of the Heauens to be in any measure such as it is hee would bee glad at his heart to forsake the moulding cottages of clay Seeing the out-sid of heauen is so glorious what must bee the in side Solomons Temple was a type of Heauen The further a man went in he saw the greater beautie In the out most Couâ—… was but an Altar of brasse for the sâ—…crificing of beastes Into the inward Court stood an Altar of Gold for offering of incense of sweet persumâ—…s But that which was in most viz Sanctum Sanctorum the Holie of holies was all full of Glorie There God himselfe was heard in a voyce beetweene the Cherubins There was the Ark called The Glorie wherin were the Tables of Gods word Aarons flourished Rod the Manna There was the Word for the instruction of the Soule There were the Almond floorishes like a pleasant Spring for rejoycing of the eye There also was Mannah for meate the type of that euerlasting Soule feast in the Heauens Behold a compend of the three most pleasaÌ„t seasons of the yeare First there was the seed of the word after that the Summer flowers of pleasure in the flowrishing Rod And last there was the fruitfull haruish of Manna for meat In a word in that Holie of holies the figure of Heauen was the Mercieseaâ—… the speciall place of Gods residence But all the beautie of that Temple were not sufficient to expresse the shadowe of these that are aboue the starres S. Paul after that hee had beene rauished vp to the third heauens got a charge from God that hee should not tell what hee had heard or seene there Onelie this hee declared after that hee was come downe that vp into Paradise hee had heard vnspeakable words which no tongue of flesh could bee able to pronounce But though such words had beene speakable the Apostle declareth that it was not lawfull for a man to vtter them Alas what can the earthlie low creeping worâ—…s of our highest eloquence expresse of these
persons in appearance lik shooting starres fall downe in diuerse places with their blazing profession from Heauen vnto Earth a most sure token of a tempest to come Too manie alas shame goodnesse by seeming good like Frogges infroâ—…kes Vice in the habite of Vertue While inwardlie the heart is rotten nowe or then corruption must burst out into scab scandel Many with their faire profession are like Rowers in a Boat who look one way but goe the cleane contrarie For this cause I intreat thee to studie the substance of godlinesse and not to bee like these whose chiefest care is spended vpon shewes S. Paul speaking of the life of the Godlie saith That it is hidde with Christ in God It is so hidde there that none shall bee able to find it for to steale it away or to take it by force but not so hidde but that it must also appeare in all the effects of godlinesse When God commanded Ezekiel to pâ—…each vnto the drye bones that they might liue hee ordained for him this Text Thus saith the Lord God come from the foure windes O breath and breath vpon these slaine that they may liue For to apply this where there is a life after slaughter I speake of a spirituall life a life hid in God theâ—…e must appeare foure effectes from the foure winds From the East the Orient of that life there must bee an arising from sinne From the West there must bee a dying to sinne euen a setting and going downe of wickednesse From the South must come the heat of zeale moisted with showers of teares of true repentance At last from the North must come a chill colde of trembling feare to offend God whereby wee make an end or worke out the worke of our Saluation with feare and trembling These bee the foure partes of godlinesse wherein all Christian Soules must bee carefullie exercised In this is the substance of true godlinesse It is better to bee starke naught than to double our sins by seeming good It is easie to juggle the outward eye of flesh but that inward Eye which seeth our thoughts a farre off nothing shall escape There is not a Crowne of life for carnall liuers Hearken vnto mee mine heart Bee busie in prayer joyne fasting therevnto lest that the high feeding of the flesh make the bodie to kicke against the Soule which is too farre in loue with the bodie Of a pampered bodie may the Soule often say in some measure as Christ said of Iudas He who hath eaten bread at my table hath lift his heele against me All fleshlie pleasures are both vaine and vile They are like blisters which beginne with itching but end in swelling sores Beware of such succred poyson My counsell is that often thou reade the holie Scriptures and particularlie the thirtie one Chapter of the Prouerbes where thrift and godlinesse are joyned together Bee carefull and painefull in thy managâ—… Think surely that Idlenesse is the mother of all mischiefe Seeke Gods grace both earnestlie and earelie A little with Gods blessing is a rich heritage An handfull of meale and a little oylein a cruse was sufficient for the Prophet and the Widow of Sareptâ—… till the famine was past That blessed handfull was better than the best prouided Barne or Girnell in the Land The grace of God is an heritage of greatest and surest rent Vnsanctified prosperitie is but a seeming Sun-shine which vnauoidablie must perish Blessed is the woman who with Marie in some measure is receiued in grace Tak good heed to thine heart watch well ouer thy thoughtes though thoughts be called light the sinne of thought is heauie from the inward thoughts spring and sprout all outward mischiefes As for thine outward carriage meddle not in other mens matters Curious searchers of the life of others are often carelesse correcters of their owne Manie neglecting the hudge beame in their owne ye must needs bee tampering with the little mots that are in others A slacked tongue and a slacke hand keepe other companie An idle woman must bee a pratler when the hand cannot practise the tong must prattle To such it is scorne to preach that for euerie idle word wee must all bee answerable My deare Spouse I must tell thee all that I thinke concerning thy wel for I desire thy Soule to bee knitte with mine into the bundle of life Take good heede to thy selfe these who in this world haue a name to liâ—…e haue great neede to rule well their life The nearer a bodie bee to a lighted Candle the greater is the shadow thereof so the nearer the bodie of sinne bee to one that is inlightened the greater is the Scandale thereof Put the breadth of thy finger hard neere to the Candle it shall make a shadow greater then all your bodie but the farder it be remoued the lesse it will appeare Remember I pray thee how neare thou art to the Candle of a bright glorious profession a little Mot of euill will bee called a mountaine in thee because thou was my wife and because wee haue liued with good report The wicked are most faine to take the Godlie but tripping in a lesser fault of their infirmities they make bucklers for the defence of their maliciousnesse Vâ—…e my counsell for feare of scandale and for to flee all appearance of euill Hatte the verie garment spotted with the flesh Watch well ouer thy selfe both alone and in companie Striue neuer to seeme to bee that which thou art not indeede Many haue much more than they shew but moe shewe much more than they haue The Religion of the greatest part for all their pretences is but a smoke a shadow a blast or a sound Substance without appearance is better than appearance without substance The Soule which hath but a forme of godlinesse is most deformed in Gods sight Ordinarlie shee who is most farded is most filthie Vices are most vile when they are shrouded and ouer-cast with a countenance of Vertue a vizard of pietie maketh one a monster in Gods eyes There is no such villanie as that which is varnished ouer with colours of godlinesse Sinners may cloake sinne and couer it for a space but they cannot stand long for wickednesse shal be broken as a tree Let therefore thy Faith within appeare in thy life without All the Faithfull should be like the roule of that Booke which Ezekiel saw in a vision which was written within and without If there bee no Letters of life written without there is no liuing Faith within but a dead carion of Faith for Faith without works is dead For this cause flee the foggie lithernesse of the flesh and striue for the fruites of Faith Aboue all be earnest in prayer the preseruer of honestie Heare Gods word with reuerence as good newes from a farre Countrey Let this word be a
Seruant fainting in great weaknesse of bodie But thogh flesh and friends health wealth and all should faile him thou LORD will neuer faile him Hee is thy Seruant he is thy Seruant the son of thy hand-maide Thou hast most powerfullie hitherto supported and vpholdeÌ„ him by thy mercifull hand Now leaue him not while he is drawing neare vnto his long home It is easie to perceiue that his age is departing from him like a shepheards tent and that thou art readie to cutte off his life like a weauer His desire LORD is to bee with Thee Thou hast heard the sighings of this prisoner and thou hast vnderstood the groanes of thine own Spirit As thou hast begunne the good worke in him so perfect it in due time As thou doest with the yeare crowne it with thy goodnesse with-draw not thy Grace from him till it bee made perfect in weaknesse Thou LORD hast manifested thy loue to him wonderfullie by putting into his minde and mouth such diuine preceptes and counselâ—… to his Friends Wife and Children that all that haue heard them haue beene forced to wonder at the glorie of thy grace Now deare Iesus let thy force be with him in his fainting but the nearer hee draweth vnto his end lâ—…t thy Spirit the Comforter enable him the more till victoriouslie hee hath put an end vnto this Battell As the strength of his bodie shall beginne to decrease let the comfortes of thy Spirit increase in his Soule Seale vp in his heart that peace which thou hast purchased by the blood of the Prince of peace Assure him of the rest of these joyes which are to bee reuealed whereof hee hath alreadie receiued the earnest O say vnto his Soule that thou shalt bee his Saluation In the silence of the night while deepe sleepe falleth on man make thou his reines to instruct him Suggest vnto his heart the sweetest wordes of thy comforts which may bee vnto him like apples of gold in pictures of siluer Waine his heart daylie more and more from the loue of things below Make thou his Soule to soare vp with Eagles wings towardes the heauenlie Mansions Prepare nowe his Soule to the last conflict Put vpon him all the Armour of God Strengthen his Faith that hee may holde fast by Thee yea so resoluedlie that though thou should slay him yet hee may trust in thee When the force of sicknesse shall tak away the vse of his tongue make his heart to groane vnto Thee in the secret language of thy Spirite â—…hat in thine hands he commenâ—… 〈◊〉 his Soule and that he desireth thee to come quicklie for his reliefe Let not the increasing throes and pangues of death discourage him In greatest anguish vphold his enfeebled heart with the hope of Glorie Look on him Lord with the eye of thy mercie incline thine eare to the sighes of his heart make haste to come for his Soule is longing for his appointed time till his change come As thou art the Lord of life so vnto thee belong the issues of death Let strength proceede from thee like vertue from Christes garment whereby hee may bee encouraged against the fearefull assaults of death which shortly in all appearance shall besiege his noble parts for to bring him vnto dust froÌ„ whence hee came Make thy Spirit to enter into his hearte for to vphold him against this feare smart of his last and most heauie houre Let him know that if the earthlie house of his Tabernacle bee dissolued that he hath a building of God an house not made with hand eternall in the heauen Make his Soule more and more earnestlie to groane for to bee cloathed vpon with his house which is from Heauen Seeing while hee is heere at home in the bodie hee is absent from the Lord make thou him confident and willing rather to bee absent from the bodie that hee may bee present with Thee in the Heauens Let the hope of the Resurrection vphold him against all the terrours of the Graâ—…e Perswade his Soule that at the sound of that shrill celestiall Trumpet his bodie shall arise and with these same eyes shall beholde his Redeemer and none other for him Innumerable euils Lord haue compassed him about Nowe the time approacheth that thou wilt deliuer him from all his feares Make haste Lord Come Lord Iesus come Rebuke Sathan wee intreat thee that in the darksome night he interrupt not the comforts of thy Spirit Suffer neuer that slie and craftie one to bereaue him of the pledges of thy loue Make him to holde fast that which hee hath that none bee able to take his Crowne O mercifull God take notice of all his wants and necessities and bee thou to him SHADAI GOD all sufficient for to supplie them Let him not want that Grace without the which hee cannot serue thee Through thy selfe make him to push downe all the enemies of his Saluation Through thy Name make him to treade them vnder foote that rise vp against him for he hath not forgotten the Name of thee his God neither hath hee stretched out his hands to a strange God While his eye-stringes shall bee broken and when the throes of death shall make his heart to tumble within him then bee thou the strength of his heart the health of his countenance and his God In his greatest griefes anoynt his Soule with some droppes of that oyle of gladnesse wherewith thou once anointed our Lord and Sauiour aboue his fellowes Let thy Graces like that precious ointment that ran downe vpon the beard of Aaron flowe down from thee aboundantlie vpon all the powers of his Soule Let spirituall vertues drop downe vpon him as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the mountaines of Zion O thou the perfection of beautie shine vpon his Soule Indue him with a melting and relenting heart Bee mercifull to thy distressed Church comfort Her in all Her teares and troubles Pittie Her deformities Adorne Her with Puritie and Vnitie Though Shee bee outwardlie 1. duskie because the Sun hath withered Her yet Shee is the Kings Daughter whose 2. whole glorie is within 3 Awake O North Wind and come thou South blow vpon Her Garden that the spices thereof may flowe out Declare vnto Her enemies that if they 4 touch Her they shall touch the Apple of thine Eye Let them all know that it is 5 hard to kicke against prickes and that if they perlecute thee Thou wilt throw them to the ground Bee mercifull to our gracious SOVERAIGNE the Kings Majestie as by thy Grace thou hast made him a King so by thy Grace make Him a good King Powre down a princelie Spirit vpon his Soule that Hee may haue courage for the Trueth Make Him answerable to his most honourable Style Defender of the Faith Vouchsafe thy mercie vpon his Princelie Spouse Let the beautie of the Lord Her God bee vpon Her Make Her like
the Kings Daughter which is all glorious within Make Her a Mother in Israel a Nurse Mother to thy Church an happie Mother of blessed Children Be mercifull to all the Nobilitie of our Land fixe fast their heartes vpon the thinges that are aboue Blesse our Pastours make them painefull Faithfull at thy Seruice that they may gaine with the Talents which thou hast committed to their keeping Make them to striue more then for states to bee in thy fauour Let their chiefest care bee to winne and wooe manie Soules to the loue of Iesus the blessed Bridegroome of the Church Good LORD bee mercifull to vs that are heere humbled before thee Encrease our Faith and better our feeling and apprehension of thy loue Look graciously vpon this our euening sacrifice which wee doe heere render vnto thy Majestic perfumed with the merits of thy Sonne in that prayer which hee by his most sacred wisedome hath taught vs saying Our Father which art c. The sicke Man Before the market time of my life be ended O my deare God let me haue a rich pennie-worth of thy mercie Thou who biddeth vs buy without money giue vs grace to tak the aduantage of the Market before the Sunne of our life bee set O that in this our day wee could know the things belonging to our peace that in an holie zeale the corruptions of our affections wherewith our hearts heere bee in◅hralled and sold vnder sinne may bee justled out and tread vnder foote THE EIGHTH DAYES Conference A Conference with a carnall Friend concerning his Buriall Concerning Funerall Sermons Diuerse prayers Death approaching A Soliloque◅ betweene the Soule and the bodie in a trance their last adewes The last gaspes Michael and Sathan disput for the Soule The sicke Man THE troublous toyles of this world are the bane of Mans life they surfet his minde with car◅s My Spirit is much wearied Oh that I had wings lik a Doue then would I flie away and rest O with how manie rootes are wee fastened vnto this earth The World Wife Life and Children but most of all our owne corruptions are burdens which hang so fast on that none hand but that of the Almightie is able to shake them off So long as wee haue health and wealth wee stalke in our vanities like Nebuchadnezar in his palace of confusion Wee neuer perceiue that wee dwell in Bable till one judgement or other bring vs to confusion Wee will not suffer to bee reproued while the time is fittest for repentance Wee are offended at the word except that it glyde by our faults Wee will not with Peter bee with-stood to the face The Preacher must whisper his reproofes behind our backes or he must speake vnto vs as vnto Princes into Parables Wee heare like stones and goe like snailes Fye vpon vs Oh that wee were wise A carnall Friend What are yee now doing Sir In all appearance yee are shortlie for to leaue this world yee haue said all your adewes and haue turned your backe vpon all worldlie things as Hezekiah did when hee turned his face to the wall I desire Sir to knowe of you but one thing Where would yee bee buried Were it not expedient that your Corps lye into the Church where are buried these which are in greatest account in this world The sicke Man What haue I to doe with this world or with the fashions of this worlde which passe away Wherfore should I make the glorious House of my God a flesh pot of corruption Fye vpon our folie Should it be conuenient that my stinking bones cast vp anie noysome vapours for to trouble the liuing at the seruice of the euerliuing What aduantage shall it be to my Soule to come and fetch this bodie out of a Church more than out of a Church yeard What prerogatiue shall it bee to my bodie in that day that it hath beene buried into Gods House Gods House in Scripture is called An House of prayer but in no place is it called A place of buriall Let no mā mak me an euill example after my death What is this How long shall foolish man goe round in his course and compasse of vanitie like a blind horse in a Mill The carnall Friend But would yee not at least haue a Tombe Sir and your name written vpon it with this Heere lyeth such a man The sicke Man Vaine man is glutted with vanitie euen vnto the gorge pype Why trouble ye me with vanitie in death who is now mourning for the vanitie of my life mine accoūt is cast vp for another world My name is written into the Booke of life what care I for Letters into stones away with such Banners of pride Such things are but cold comforts to a wearied Conscience Such thinges are but vanities of none abode Where are nowe the Mausels and most glorious Tombes of Emperours It was well said by a Pagan Sunt etiam sua fata Sepulchris That is for to giue a glosse to these words Tombes wherein the dead are buried will bee buried themselues Nothing is heere permanent Triumphs haue their Tombes and Crownes haue their compasse O my God faste◅ and fixe the eyes of my Soule vpon that which is eternall O the folies of mens hearts who vainelie and needleslie waste vpon their dead vanities that which might builde houses for the poore But let proud men lye vnder their statelie Towers such lifted vp stones must at last fall downe as he fell who now lyeth vnder them I like well of Beza his answere on his death bed to one that spak to him of a Tombe Sub cespi◅e viridi said he That is Lay mee vnder the greene Turfe A notable word of humilitie Good Deborah was buried vnder an Oke tree Manie may lie vnder painted stones whose Soules are pined into Hell God will neuer inquire of a mans Soule where was thy bodie buried But how hast thou liued into that bodie shall he say Lay mee then vnder the greene Turfe How manie Martyres haue beene burnt into ashes which haue beene cast vp into the winde and scattered vpon the waters Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam Hee is couered with the Heauens who wanteth a graue Facilis jactura Sepulchri est The losse of buriall is no great losse O that my Soule were truelie humble I haue alas in the dayes of my vanitie beene too much pined with the prid of life scādalously appearing without but O O O Si trabes in oculo strues in corde a litle beame of pride in the eye telleth that there is a stake of it in the heart And yet in this Turfe of humilitie which I cry for I spy a lurking pride Pride is a secrete thing so small spun that hardlie can it bee discerned A man will bee proude that hee is not proude or rather because hee will not seeme to bee proude This is priuie pride
shall ye bee Mans life at the longest may bee measured with a spanne Behold said the Psalmest thou hast made my dayes of an hand-breadth Mine age is as nothing before thee Our life is but a vapour and a wind which once passeth away returneth not againe It should therefore bee your best in time to prepare your selues for a better life and not with many to relye securelie vpon a possibilitie of pardon If yee bee wise venter not vpon such broken staues which faile in greatest neede The carnall Friend Thinke not the worse of mee Sir if I desire you to be honoured with the best in Buriall bee not too precise I hope that wee all shall come to heauen at last wee are all sinners I hope before I die to repent mee of all my sins The sicke Man S. Augustins wordes are of great power Metuendum est ne te occidat spes cum multum speres de misericordia incidas in judicium It is to be feared that while men hope for nothing so much as mercy euen then they fall into damnation I pray God that such hopes deceiue you not Many foolishlie make a packe horse of Christs merites and Gods mercies not caring what burdens they lay on A broken heart is onelie an heart qualified for the pardons of heauen If Christ Iesus his wordes bee of anie credit among men this wee must hold that none shall come to heauen but by the narrow way Sathan with his temptations hath bored out the eyes of many as the Philistins did to Samson But alas who hath the courage of Samson to seeke to be ledde to the chiefe pillars that he may pull them down for to bee reuenged vpon his foes Alas this is the fashion of this world men like the sluggard liue in delayes in steepe and in sloth Yet a little while and yet a little while No man will build an Arke vntill the floode come Lot himselfe did linger to saue himselfe from a brime stone fyre Men haue no leasure to bee saued so hard is it for the most part to pluke their feete out of the clouches of this world If wee could ouercome the loue of this worlde which is the great Goliah of our enemies then shuld we easilie ouercome the pride of the Philislins and the feare of Israel But carnall men know not what it is to mortifie olde Adam with his corrupt lustes Fooles feede on folies and tickle their fond fancies with imagined contentments not knowing the strick narrow course of sanctification Such mens speach is often both vnseemelie and vnseasonable Blessed bee my God who hath giuen mee the staffe in the hand and the stone in the scrippe wherewith I haue stricken all my strongest corruptions in the temples Sathan is tread vnder foote my flesh is subdued mine heart is in Heauen I care for the worlde no more neither desire I to speake anie longer of clay or of anie thing below My minde is aboue farre from the dirt drosse of all earthlie thoughts O my heauenlie Father wrap my Soule wrappe it vp in the righteousnesse of thy Sonne Let that bee the white long robe of my Soule while my body wrapt in its winding sheete shal lye rotting into the graue O my God fill my fainting heart with a joyfull confluence of the precious sufferings of Iesus of the promises of life of the joyes of heauen mak mine ende with that of the vpright man to bee peace Bee not cast downe my Soule neither bee thou disquieted within mee Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Oh but mine heart is sicke Oh where is my deare and louing Pastour His conference is most comfortable vnto my Soule The Pastour I am heere Sir waiting till I see the end of your Battell I haue heard all your wordes with great contentment I haue plainelie perceiued that Gods Angels these noble Spirits attend both to guide to guarde you God by the arme of his power hath brought you out of the thicket of thornes and pricking thistles of monie temptations He who hath made all things in number weight and measure hath not surcharge your Soule aboue that which he hath made you able to beare God in great grace hath made you first to know your selfe in your offences and miserie and after that to know him in his Majestie and mercie The Lord God in great kindnesse hath furnished you with firme Faith constant Hope and sincere Loue He hath led you thorow many trauerses and perplexities Now haue ye passed the most dreadfull darkest houre of all your temptations Now the dawning of a new day approacheth now labour might maine to be prepared for you God within a short space Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse that day spring from on high shall arise vpon your Soule neuer for to goe downe Continue in your prayers to God that he wold possesse your Soule with true hearted holinesse without which no Soule shall see Gods face What now Sir are yee doing The sicke Man My sillie Soule is heere waiting till Death come and open the prison doore that she may flee to her God to her Contrie from whence she came Fogs mists arise before mine eys O my God from the Throne of thy Grace râ—…ine downe vpon my wearied Soule the refreshing showrs of thy most iender mercies Vouchsafe vpon mee some crummes of thy comforts Oh that I had the wings of a doâ—…e for to flee to the woundes of Iesus as to the holes of the Rock My poore Soule in this bodie is like a Bird in a Cage looking through the wyres Faine would it bee free of this sinfull captiuitie O but my Soule panteth fast after my Sauiour What now shall stay mee from my God from my Christ from my Father my brother and my Comforter my dearest Darling of delight I long to bee in Heauen the place of my rest My desire is to goe to Goshen the Land of light of Life and of Libertie Mine heart is fast linked vnto Christ in loue O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so forgetfull of him O my GOD prepare mee to meete thee with a bruised Spirit Melt my sinnes into sighes and my troubles into teares Let thy good Spirit leade mee into the Land of vp rightnesse Lord let neuer this clay returne to clay till my Spirit be readie to goe to him that gaue it O quicken sharpen my care of heauen dulled and blunted with earthlie thoughts Make sound wisedome and discretion to bee life vnto my Soule and grace to my necke Make my Soule trimme with that costly wedding Garment bought with thy Blood O Iesus the blessed Bridegroome who hast by thy Gospel of Grace betrothed my Soule vnto
her faire face because Hypocrisies face seemeth to be faire while it is fairded No not God will haue true faith to come out that the world may see her into works Shew mee thy Faith by thy workes Christ who desireth that the niggard or ambitious left hand know not or see not the liberalitie of the charitable right hand commandeth that wee let ouâ—… light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heauen The graces of Gods Spirit in a man are like a light candle No man light a Candle and put it vnder a bushell but on a Candle-sticke it giueth light to all that are in the house The good life of the godlie man should bee like a Citie sette on an hill which cannot bee hid The labourer soweth not his seede on the ground that it may still remaine hidde vnder the cloddes neither doeth God sow his graces in our heartes that there they may luâ—…k still abide secret I like not these who feare to seeme godlie left they should bee thought to be Hypocrites Euen in that are they Hypocrites that for feare they seeme to affect godlinesse will not doe good that may bee seene which would moue the true Israelits to glorifie our Father in heauen yea and also allure these to come to God who as yet are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel I confesse that fewe bee troubled with such a feare It is a sin whereof verie few in this Land are guiltie yet seeing it is a sinne it would bee carefullie auoided Because Papists whollie relye on their workes Protestants with great scandale will onelie bragge of their Faith Thus both the one and the other against the truth of doctrine separate that which God hath joyned together The sicke Man O Lord GOD of gods O Father of euerlasting compassions whose blessed bowels did bleede vpon the crosse for to saue sinners pittie heere a fraile feeble creature yet tugging and wrestling in the Barras of this sinfull flesh Furnish mee with strength whereby I may surmount and vanquish all difficulties which are betweene my Soule and the place of its euerlasting rest I am weake forbeare mee Lord in thy great mercie Ioyne thy Grace with my griefâ—… O that I were with my Christ the Marke whereat I aime the Port whereto I saile the rest of my desires Let thy good Spirit O Lord assist mee Let thy fauour and grace bee my vade-mecum till I come to thy Glorie O who shall giue to my soule the wings of a Doue that it may flee out of the Douket of this bodie vp to its God O deare Sauiour set mee as a seale vpon thine heart Draw mee and wee shall runne after thee Holde mine heart aloft that it may onelie minde the things aboue The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and grant the sute of thy seruant I feare Sir that yee bee wearied with speaking As I perceiue yee force your selfe in your words aboue the reach of your strength Seeing yee trauell thus in paine of your speach spend the little space of life that resteth in holie meditations concerning the bloodie wounds of Christ your Sauiour The sicke Man Christ now is onelie my comfort I loue him with the best bowels of mine heart In the bowels of his mercie I reade by the eye of Faith most faire lines of his loue all written in great Capitall letters of an heauenlie impression Christ is to mee in stead of all for alreadie in my neede hee hath stood mee in more stead than all O in what a pitifull plight my sillie and forlorne Soule was once into Blâ—…ssed bee hee for euermore who in so great kindnesse hath shined vpon me with the blessed bright and vnspotted beames of his mercy O but my Soule panteth after him Oh how this heart of mine is euill to breake What a piece of clammie teugh clay is this that settereth so my Soule that by no meanes can it bee loosed from it that it may soare vp to its God from griefe to glorie O that I were with him with whom I shall not want the thing that I can wish Now Lord the time is come pull off mee the dull wiede of sinfull mortalitie and cloath my soule in white with the Robe of Christes righteousnesse that it may followe the Lambe O but I am wearied My Soule longeth to see the Face of my God The Pastour Waite vpon the Lords will when it is time hee will open the prison doore and let your Soule flie vp to your Glorie Thinke on Heauen still Mount vp your minde to your Maker who shall shortlie roofe with Glorie the graces which hee hath reared vp into your heart Let the hope of these thinges hearten you in the mudde and myre of this sinfull mortalitie The sicke man O Lord pittie this Soule which I haue defiled and defaced with scarlet transgressions and crimsin iniquities Thou hast begunne the good worke in me It is now neere to perfection Put to now the last hand and perfect the worke Rub out perfectlie with the Blood of thy Lambe the least staines which sticke in my Soule that while thou shalt look vpon mee thou may know mee to bee thy redeemed one by the stampe of thine owne Image O Lord fixe mine heart so into thine owne heart that nothing bee able to pull it out without pulling out thine owne It hath beene like a crooked twigge O writh it so nowe the right way that it may bee according to thine owne heart The Pastour Lord heare thou in Heauen and graunt the sute of thy Seruant Let nothing bee able to tickle tempt or trouble his Soule Be of good heart Sir the Battell is neare an end Fight out the good fight finish your course and keepe the Faith hence-foorth is laide vp for you a Crowne of righteousnesse which the LORD shall giue you at that day Make now full proofe of your courage which shall shortlie be couered with a Crown Hold out still in your holie exercise till your change come The sicke Man I wearie of this cottage of claye I am at a point with all that is vnder the Sunne I care not for this worlds fauour no more for its frowne But O but my Soule longeth to be with my Lord that I may see his face with fulnesse of joye O thou with whom nothing is impossible make the scales of mortalitie to fall from mine eyes that I may fee thee before euen as thou art My Soule longeth to be out of this myry lak of miserie for to dwell with thee into the Pallace of immortalitie O when shall I get ridde of these sinfull bonds O Sauiour of mankind giue eare vnto my sute Deliuere mee from this seeming life that I may die to liue the life of pleâ—…sures for euermore O drawe drawe out this Soule entombed into this bodie Before
thou separate them sâ—…ale surelie thy pardons within my Conscience and doe perfectlie away all my transgressions Guarde mee assist mee and harnesse my Soule against Sathan his last on-sette Let my Soule graspe with an holy greedinesse in the hand of Faith such spirituall comforts as thou O Lord makest to come from the boundlesse and bottomelesse fountaine of thy mercie toward all these whoÌ„ thouloueth Let my soule feele more and more sensiblie these mercies which fairelie oriently streame thorow the bloodie wounds of my blessed Sauiour Iesus the 〈◊〉 wash and bath my drooping Soule in the well of life Giue vnto it a drinke of the riuers of thy pleasures O Lord of loue shedde thy loue into mine heart thorow the bleeding bowels of my blessed Sauiour O blessed Redeemer of lost mankinde O Pelicane of pittie whose heart did euer melt with mâ—…rcifull compassions pittie my Soule in this painefull plight Mine heart strings are racked my bowels are rent the house of the Soule is falling downe nowe open the doore of thine euerlasting Tabernacles that my Soule may goe from Grace to Glorie Make the power of thy loue like a load stone for to draw mine heart after thee from the mudde of this mortalitie The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and fulfill the sute of thy Seruant burie all his sinnes and his sorrowes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie Entombe in the Tombe of Iesus where they may lye for euer without anie hope of a resurrection The sicke Man I waite for the Lord my Soule doeâ—…h waite in his word doe I hope My soule waiteth for the Lord more thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning I say More thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning My Soule is wearied of this earthlie Tabernacle O when shall I come and appeare before God O that I were at my wished home O nowe moue the poole of thy mercie and moue my Soule to runne into it The Pastour It is likly that within an houâ—…e God shall grant you your desire Could not you watch with mee but an houre said Christ to his Disciples Yee haue nowe but an houres absence from your God Yee haue but an houres voyage from the bodie to the sight of Gods face the place of your rest Fixe fast your eyes vpon the Crowne of immortalitie till your Soule be past from toilesome Time to Eternitie Yet a little while God shall retire you from the tyring trauels of this life Watch but an houre and your end shall bee peace The sicke Man The Lorde sende a good houre wherein I may lay downe the loade of this mortalitie Alas manie an houre haue I euill and idlie spent in pam pering this foggie flesh with the light and loose pleasures of this life O Spirite of Grace drawe neare vnto my Soule Make thy residence into this broken heart Correct cure and couer all the corruptions of my Nature Beginne and end crowne the worke with thy goodnes At last close in me thy graces with thy glorie O make mine eyes to see and mine armes to carrie and mine heart to bee filled with thy Saluation Conuoye vnto my Soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let that euer recking blood wherein is a Sauour of life vnto life Comfort and vp-holde my Soule in this last heauie houre Now Sir seeing the end draweth neare helpe mee to spend well this houre which in all appearance shall be my last I wish that all my thoghts and affections bee nowe so bended toward my God that they neither sway nor swerue from him by anie idle wandering of minde O Thou that art high and excellent who dwellest in the high and holie place Thogh thou be high thy promise is to dwell also with him that is of a contrite humble spirit According to thy promise reuiue the Spirit of the humble and giue life to him that is of a contrite heart O Lord according to thy wonted grace make mee in my last agonie to possesse my Soule in peace and patience Disapoint Satan in all his craftie fetches O couer this sillie Turtle vnder the mantle of thy mercie All other couerings are but light and slight like Spiders webbes which cannot endure the breath and blast of thy mouth The Pastour Lord hearken thou in heauen giue eare vnto the sute of thy Seâ—…uaÌ„t I perceiue indeede that now your words wearie you Lest yee faint I shall tak the speach vpon me If it be your will I shall let you heare a most diuine discourse taken from a godly preacher on his death-bed the words surely are weighty of great power If ye please I shal let you heare them while I speake them meditate yee and in your minde make them your owne wordes The sicke Man I intreate your Sir for to let mee heare them I shall follow you in mine heart as I can I finde that my tongue almost now faileth mee O God while I heare let the Spirit of grace take harbour into mine heart Set all mine affections on bensell that I may carefullie giue eare vnto thy comfortes the cordials of thy Gospel O cleare the sight of my minde dazeled with the mist of my corrupt affections The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and forgiue the sinnes of thy seruant After this manner Sir the man of God spake vpon his death-bedde I owe to God a death as his Son died for mee Euer since I was borne I haue beene sayling to this Hauen and gathering patience to comfort this houre therefore shall I bee one of these Guestes nowe that would not come to the banket when they were inuited What hurt is in going to Paradise I shall lose nothing but the sense of euill And anone I shall haue greater joyes than I feele paines For mine Head is in Heauen alreadie to assure mee that my Soule and bodie shall follow after O Death where is thy sting Why should I feare that which I wold not escape because my chiefest happines is behind I cannot haue it vnlesse I goe vnto it I wold goe through Hell to Heauen And therfore if I march but through death I suffer lesse than I would suffer for God My paines doe not dismay mee because I trauaile to bring foorth eternall life My sinnes doe not fright me because I haue Christ my Redeemer The Iudge doeth not astonish me because the Iudgâ—…s Sonne is mine Aduocat The Deuill doth not amaze mee because the Angels pitch about me The Graue doeth not grieue me because it was my Lords bedde Oh that Gods mercie to mee might moue others to loue him For the lesse I can expresse it the more it is The Prophets and the Apostles are my fore-runners Euery man is gone before mee or else hee will follow after mee If it please God to receiue mee into Heauen before them which haue serued him better I owe more thankfulnesse vnto
bee thankfull vnto thy good and gracious Lord O what tribulations am I come thorow O with what balmie comfortes hath the Lord asswadged the dolours of my Soule O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hynds that thou haste thee vnto thy God in thy strongest affections Keepe nowe tryst with the Spirit of thy God who is now here waiting till thou bee readie The Pastour My Soule and all that is within mee praise the Lord for the powerfull working of his Spirite within you whereby hee hath made such a change as is wonderfull This particula◅ remembereth mee of a certaine Martyre who beeing condemned to bee burnt could feele no working of the Spirit within his hearte till hee came neare to the stake But beeing once come there with a cry hee clapped his hands and crying out amaine said O Austen hee is come hee is come The Martyr was called Master Goner The sicke Man By the grace of God I hope shortlie to say as much My Soule is readie bent waiting for his comming O come Lord Iesus come Let this mine hungrie Soule win in now at the ports of thy Palace for to get a share of the mariage supper of the Lambe in hope already I feast vpon the joys of eternitie In my Soule is now the Charter of my Saluation sealed with that most pure and purifying Blood of the immaculate and spotlesse Lambe that came to take away the monstrous and menstrous sin◅es of the world In the vertue of his Blood is my strongest comfort and highest resolution By it alone all my blacke and bloodie sinnes are clensed from their crimsin colour The Pastour Indeede Sir it is onelie that Lambes Blood that can purge away sinne and iniquitie Though man should wash himselfe with nitre and take him much sope yet for all that shall his iniquitie bee marked before God except that hee bee bathed into this blood of sprinkling Seeing now your Charter is well sealed hold fast these writtings that nothing aboue or belowe no not principalities and powers bee able to wrest them out of your hands Happie is your heart now wherein is that white jewell of the Reuelation euen the white stone wherein is a new name which no man can knowe except the receiuer O the boundlesse bleeding bowels of Gods compassions O that infinite store-house of Christs merites and mercies which no sinne were they neuer so hainous can bee able to stint or restraine before the repenting sinner get a parte of that purchase Neither Death nor Life things present nor to come shall be able to with hold a mourning sinner from a share in our Lords dearest compassions Christ now Sir is readie to receiue ◅ou Make your selfe readie for him Lift vp your hea◅ for your Redemption draweth neare The ende of your time and toile is fast comming The Angels of God are here waiting vpon your Soule which is now looking out to Christ as the morning faire as the Moone cleare as the Sunne and terrible as an Armie with Banners Wherevpon is your minde nowe fixed The sicke Man All mine affections are bended toward God O what shall bee able to hold or hinder me from hastening to my Lord the repairer of life the destroyer of death the conquerour of Heauen the vanquisher of Hell O my Sauiour come neerer yet vnto mee let my Soule creepe in by thy wounds euen to the verie bowels of thy mercie Warme it like a Chicken vnder the vvinges of thy loue The Pastour In Christ alone is Saluation Out of his side did issue the water that hath quenched the vnquencheable fyre of Gods wrath with the Blood that taketh away the sinnes of the world His holie Heart was racked his Armes of compassiō were stretched out vpon the Crosse for to declare to all repenting sinners the infinite widenesse of his mercies His sacred Head hang down bowed for to giue eare vnto the gronings of his prisoners His blessed Bowels rumbling with compassions rolled together made him to proclaime that Oyas of mercie Come vnto mee all yee that are wearied and ladened with sinne and I will ease you Much hath hee suffered for our cause Like a painefull labourer hee powred out sweate not onely of water but of blood at the working the great worke of mans Saluation At last by laying downe that Life of loue hee achieued the victorie ouer Sathan flesh the world all the enemies of mans Saluation Them all hee hath crushed and trodde vnder foote Stand fast by Iesus In Faith and Hope thrust your heart vpon him What now Sir thinke ye vpon The sicke Man Christ hath bund vp all my woūds he hath perfectlie closed them with the blessed Balme of his comfortes Now at the end of mine appointed time I am waiting earnestlie till my changing come I hope ere it be long to bee translated from grace to glory The Pastour O Lord set this Soule as a seale vpon thine Hearte and as a seale vpon thine Arme Out of thy great loue make this Soule beautifull as Tirzah comelie as Ierusalem terrible as armie with banners Thou Lord who crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse tak in thine hand the crowne of immortalitie in this Soule crowne thy graces with thy glorie Now Sir yee are neare the borders of Canaan three or foure steppes more would set you in that Land of life and loue The sicke Man Mine heart like an Hart braying after waters panteth after God O when shall I come and appeare before him Now mine heart shiuers within mee I am so sicke that I feare to faint The Pastour O Lord now be mercifull shew fauour toward this thy seruant Distill thy graces into his heart vvith a blessed influence from the Spirit of thy loue pull in all his spirits to Thee and thrust out all distractions O Lord of Life and Loue breath into his soule the life of immortalitie Take heede now vnto him ye who are neere about him for death now approacheth with its last assaultes in all appearance Looke well to him for hee seemeth to bee fallen into a sowne THE SICKE MAN IN A SOVVNE A SOLILOQVEE Or a priuie conference betweene the Soule and the bodie of the sicke Man lying in a sowne The Bodie MY Soule desireth thou now to leaue mee that haue borne thee about mee so manie yeares If thou goe from mee I must no longer remaine among the inhabitants of the world but incontinent after thy departure I a vassell of death must bee hid vnder the dust among crawling wormes farre from the eyes of the liuing These who were once glad to kisse my mouth shall abhorre to see my face Is not the Graue a Babel a place of confusion Doe not Iim and Zim resort there Doe not the Satyres and the Fairies daunce there Mine haire startes all vp for feare while I
vp nowe to the Heauens Thou hast alreadie past all toyle and turmoyle The way that rests vnto the Kingdome is both smooth euen without anie rubbe of opposition thou shalt enter into immortalitie O the showres of grace and mercie which raine downe vpon vs both Farewell till that desired day of the Resurrection come The Pastour His eyes stirre a little they are full of teares the tribute of Repentance He beginneth to shake he now seemeth to bee wakened out of his traunce I will inquire what his minde is set vpon What meditations are these Sir that yee are vpon Yee seeme to haue beene in some good motion The sicke Man My Soule Sir and my bodie after a blessed agreement haue beene taking their adewes one from another They haue bene blessing each other beâ—…ause they haue serued God together they looke to bee one day both glorified together A sea of comfortes hath rained downe vpon my Soule from the Heauens in most sweete and pleasant showers The Pastour Surelie that is a worthie exercise Such good motions are plants of God and impressions of his finger Happie are the Soule the bodie that can serue God together with one shoulder At that last day they shall haue a joyefull meeting they two shal be clasped together in loue with such contentmentes as tongues of Angels are not able to expresse But O when the vvicked soule shall returne from hell to take vp its bodie for to carie it to euerlasting torments then shall they curse each other with manie a woe for their Fornications Adulteries Lyes Deceits Ryot Drunkenesse Then would the bodie if it could haue intelligence of the soules comming wish that a rock or a mountaine would fall vpon it for to hide it from the Soule that beeing voyde of life it might bee free of feeling But the decree is come foorth of necessitie they must bee joyned together O but they then shall looke one to another like Lyons Their feede shall receiue none agreement no not They shall neuer agree in anie thing but in this to 〈◊〉 together that their comfortlesse dolours may bee doubled This is a deare pennie-warth so little pleasure for so much paine In that day all the wicked shal bitterlie repent such barganes Now happie is your Soule Sir and your bodie both that are so well resolued to depart Yee are certainelie blessed that euer yee were borne Behold nowe yee rest in hope of the resurrection which shall bee in that great day of Gods generall assemblie when all that euer tooke breath shall compeare before Christ the Iudge of the World for to receiue that which they did in the flesh bee it good bee it euill Now Sir seeing yee are an inrolled Citizen of Heauen and an adopted haire of God vp still with your heart towarde that heauenlie Heritage with sighes and grones beate on still at the doores of Gods mercie God giueth vnto prayer victory against himselfe Nowe the time draweth neere Sir your houre is come to a quarter fight out the good fight fixe the eyes of your Faith vpon the bloodie wounds of Iesus Lay hold on him listen to his voyce ere it bee long yee shall heare these words of joye Come faithfull seruant and enter into thyÌ„ Masters joye O Lord the giuer of grace and of glorie out of the blessed bowels of thy mercie bath and wash this Soule with that arteriall blood which sprang thorow the pierced filme of the heart of his Redeemer At the beginning of this Battell Lord thou did see howe his poore Soule was scorched with the flames of hellish temptations which did burne the verie marrow out of his bones this is thy ordinarie dealing with thine owne Hell on earth is for the heires of Heauen But heauen on earth is the portion of the heires of hell Now Lord from his hell bring him to thine Heauens Mak his Soule more clearelie to look vp toward the blessed bloodie wounds of his Sauiour wherein hee may perceiue the props of his protection Make his Soule now to be fullie possessed with an entire loue to the fairenesse of thy face wherein are pleasures for euermore The sicke Man Lord Iesus make clay againe with thy Spittle for to anointe my dimmed eyes that clearelie with Simeon my Soule may see thy Saluation We in our life receiue but the first impositioÌ„ of handes like the man that saw men walking like trees Now Lord at death giue mee the second imposition that I may see thee euen as thou art The Pastour Lord heare thou in Heauenâ—… Maintaine the life of his loue towards thee Now vvater the seede vvhich thou hast sowne Weede out the tares vvhich Sathan hath sowne Pittie and pardon Lay all his sinnes vpon the Sonne of thy loue Now let his feete be shod for the journey which hee is making to a better place Inspire his Soule with the spirit of grace till his life bee expired Saue him by thy blood which saued theÌ„ that spilt it The sicke Man I finde Death besieging my heart with seÌ„sible blowes O bring out my Soule out of this bricke of bondage of the bodie Mine heart stringes are so racked within mee that they are like to breake The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the Soule Lord helpe mee in this heauie houre The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and satisfie his hearts desire The sicke Man Pray pray that the Lord vphold mee in the throng of these throes wherewith mine heart is gripped lest I be whollie swallowed vp of despaire The Pastour O Sauiour of mankinde who out of thy meere mercie and loue came vnder the charge of his accounts Mak now answere for him as his Aduocat before that high Tribunall before which his poore Soule is now arraigned to coÌ„peare Turne all thy wrath in mercie and thy Iustice-seat in a Throne of grace Call home all his wandering thoughtes settle and them vpon thy selfe Maintaine the life of his loue Make death to him a Messenger of mercie and his paines a meane to bring him to thy pleasures O Captaine of his Saluation vnder whose bloodie banner hee hath in his life made warre against the enemies of thy glorie at death ouercome thou all the enemies of his Saluation With thy Trumpets and Lampes terrifie all these merciles Midianites Make them like a wheele as the stubble before the winde Graunt the victorie vnto thy weake Seruant heere that in the Heauens thou may crowne his Soule with glorious garlands of immortalitie Lord heare vs for the sake of thy Sonne vnto whom with thee and the Spirite of Grace bee all glorie and honour Amen Now Sir vp with your heart to the Father of mercies Fight out couragiouslie the fight of Faith Christ now is holding out the Crowne your Saluation is sealed yee neede not feare yee haue your warrant vnder the Broad Seale of the King of Heauen The sicke man O My deare
Pastour hee is come hee is come whom my Soule loueth I am my Beloueds his desire is towards mee The lost sheepe is found The vnthriftie Son is come home againe All the snares of destruction are broken My Soule is escaped like a Birde I am now at a point infinitlie desirous rather to goe to my God than to sojourneanie more on earth Mine heart is more in God than in my selfe I haue a begunne possession of Heauen by the first fruites I looke for perfection in fulnesse of joye and pleasures fore euermore O blessed Iesus set me as a Seale vpon thine heart O deare Sauiour the Roote and the Rocke of my Saluation loe I come stretch out thine Armes and take my Soule into thy bosome yet a little while and I shall bee no more a stranger vvith thee and a sojourner The Pastour O blessed bee our God for euermore who hath made you to triumph so ouer all your enemies after such vnuterable groanes of griefe where your mind was sore perplexed at the first Hold fast now that which yee haue Your heart is now richlie stored with the true treasures of godlinesse Yee are but sipping of these joyes wherof in Heauen ye shal drink in a full cup. The sicke Man Christ the Lord is mine Hee is mine Hee is to mee hoth in life and death aduantage My comforts are in my Bosome The Angelicali Guardes are heere about mee I dye in the Faith of Iesus Come euen Lord Iesus come quicklie and loose this Soule a prisoner in clay groning to bee at liberty O my Soule returne vnto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now may I say This poore man cryed and the Lord hath heard him deliuered him out of all his troubles The Pastour The Lord is with you who ere it be long shall fulfill all your hearts desires yea hee shall doe aboue all that yee can thinke or wish Now Sir yee haue him whom your soule loueth His Spirit is in the verie bosome of your heart Hold fast the grip yee haue Dye in his Armes sleepe in the blessed bosome of your God Full libertie is at the doore readie to enter in Yet a little and yee shall haue a joyfull meeting with Christ and all his Angels in the Kingdome of your Father Till yee come out of this bodie sticke fast by Faith to Christ your Redeemer Claime boldlie that which hee hath deerelie purchased by his Blood O deare Iesus his Staffe and his Strength wrape now his Soule into the white winding-sheete of thy righteousnesse While hee hath life liue thou in him that while he breaths hee may liue to thee and after death may liue with thee for euer Let neither life nor death bee able to separate him from thy loue The neerer death approacheth for to separate his Soule from his bodie d◅aw thou the neerer vnto his Soule till thy Spirit the Spirit of Life fullie finallie in all perfection liue into him the Soule of his Soule Fixe your eye nowe vpon the heart of Christ deadlie wounded for your transgressions Behold that Speare-hole in his heart which hee suffered for to sa◅e you Consider his bleeding woundes all dropping the balme of mercie which hath proceeded from the bowels of his compassions Hee it is who hath died for your sinnes and is risen againe for your righteousnesse The sicke Man I know that my Redeemer liueth his blood of an vnualuable price is the onelie ransome of my Soule Hee onelie is the joye of mine heart and the health of my countenance The Pastour Holde fast that confidence Let your Soule repare vnto the euerlasting Armes of his loue Shroud shelter your selfe vnder the winges of the Almightie Yee are nowe neere the ende of the Race The Lord guarde you with his Grace that no temptation of Satan be able trippe your heele before that yee be entered in his rest Nowe the lowring showring seede-time of teares is past and the Haruest of joye is hard at hand Now Sir Christ is at the doore Beholde hee standeth at the doore and knockes hee is nowe for to suppe with you on earth that yee may suppe with him for euer in the Heauens Behold hee is with you The sicke Man I haue found him whom my Soule loueth I will surelie hold him and will not let him goe My Soule hath already taste of the fruite of Canaan by the report of the spye of my faith Christ now is mine The Pastour Seeing yee haue him wrap your soule into the bowels of his euerlasting compassions waite on perfectiō is the last gift Lift vp continuallie the eyes of your spirit to the worthy woundes of Iesus In them behold read in great Capitall characters the vnspeakable loue of the Father The sicke Man O Lord I haue waited for thy Saluation Remember mee nowe while as thou art into thy Kingdome Father into thine handes I commend my Spirit my Soule I giue to thee who hast giuen it to mee The Pastour Now Sir your wished houre is come Christ is laying his Arm◅s about you for to receiue your Soule in his bosome Solace your selfe in your Sauiour who hath made it free of al weights that swiftly without anie let it may flee vp to its God O the loue of Iesus towardes you Hee hath not onelie beene an Inte◅cessour to pray for you but an Advocatalso to pleade for you By the vertue of his Blood your cause is win And therefore homage ye now your heart sealed with the sense of his loue Yeelde and surrender your Soule into the Armes of his mercie that hee may perfect his graces in you with glorie in immortalitie The sicke Man Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and glad it with thy glorie The Pastour He againe is fallen into a traunce His battell is now neere an end Let vs waite a little see what he doth Hee now beginneth a little for to stir There is yet some life into him as I perceiue Now Sir be glad Christ is knocking at the doore for to call foorth your Soule from bondage to libertie from your banishment to an heauenlie home from a prison of paine to a palace of pleasures for euermore That we may haue assurance that ye die in the Faith of Iesus shew vs some signe Lift vp your hand in token that yee are assured to goe to God Behold how he hath lifted vp his hand Cortenet quod lingua tacet His hande telleth what is in his heart O but this poore Soule since the beginning of this bloodie Battell hath beene miserablie mangled howed and hacked vpon by most bitter and bloodie temptations what carnall what spirituall Now blessed bee God from all his troubles he is come to his good things We are all oblished to giue praise vnto God who hath set out this man before vs as an excellent example and mirrour of his mercie It is the
whereby he may be shielded from the bloodie blowes of a most cruell aduersarie Put on him Lord the compleate armour of God that hee may bee able to with-stand in this euill houre and hauing done all to stand Before this Battell end make him with stomacke and courage to runne all his enemies throgh with the two edged sword of thy Spirit Haue now Lord a speciall care of him Hemme in all his thoughts within the compasse of thy will Possesse him so with the fulnes of thy presence that in him there be found no roome for any ill motions Furnish him with the supplie of all these graces which thou knowest to bee wanting into him Let thy Spirit make residence in his heart as in an house of God Now Lord while it is time to saue saue the Soule of thy Seruant which is now readie to remoue Open vnto it that euer-flowing fountaine promised to the penitent of the house of Dauid for to tak away sinne and vncleannesse O Fountaine of Grace wash him and wash him throughlie with the blessed Blood of thy satisfaction After that thou hast made him perfectly cleane hold out thy succouring helpful armes vnto this Soule and take it into thy bosome Let it there taste of the honie of thy Compassions In this time of gloummines darknesse of death inlighten his Soule with the light of thy countenance Turne thy face now vnto it Hitherto it could see nothing but the Back-parts of Thee that Great IEHOVAH which bringeth joye but in parte From such parts now bring him vnto the fulnesse Turne thy selfe vnto this Soule that it may fullie see thy face wherein is fulnesse of joye And seeing no man can see thy face liue let this thy Seruant now see thy face and die that after death hee may liue with thee for euer in the Heauens Let neither the loue of life nor the feare of death turne his eyes from the prize of the high calling of God Make him now with a long steppe from the earth to the heauens to step in into immortalitie Now Lord engraue deepelie this Soule into the palmes of thine hands Set it as a seale on thine heart Wrap it within the Mantle of thy mercie warâ—…e it within the bowels of thy loue lappe it in thy bosome with that vnspeakable joye which Christ hath purchased with vnspeakable paine euen through the bloodie merites of his most bitter passions His wordes now are failed Square thou all his thoughts by the rule of thy Spirit of grace Lord make these our weake prayers to mount vp lik Pillars of smoke parfumed with the mercifull merites of thine onelie Sonne To him with thee his Father and with the Spirit of Grace be all Glorie Praise Power and Dominion for euer AMEN The spirituall Friend O deare Friende whome I haue seene a sorrow beaten sinner Rejoyce now in your Sauiour whose mercies haue beene the Bane of all your sinfull miseries Cleaue still fast vnto your Sauiour Let not him goe whom your soule loueth till ye come to Peniel where yee shall see him face to face The Lord refresh your wearied soule with the soft sweete breath of his Spirit The Lord kned into your heart these spirituall meditations which are of the purest straine O Father of mercies giue vnto this soule a most sure Infefâ—…ment of heauen by the hand of thy Spirit Make some drops of thy Myrrhe to enter in by some litle creuice of his heart Put in thine hand by the keye hole of the doore that his bowels may bee moued for thee Let such a strength now repare from thee vnto him that the world may see that thy strength is made perfect in weaknesse It shall bee expedient that nowe yee his Pastour in a short prayer recommend him to God againe Behold him now at the last gaspes his eye stringes are broken The water of death trickleth downe ouer his cheekes His life is now drawen to an haire O Lord while bodilie sight and senses faile make spirituall sight and sense succeede in a greater perfection Make a spaite of thy grace with a mightie streame to carrie him to glorie O deare Friend vp with your heart to your God Nowe all your sins shall die with your sicknesse The Rocke of your Saluation Iesus hath shiuered them in pieces There is 〈◊〉 condemnation to these that are in Christ who out of the pangs of loue suffered that paines of hell for mans RedeÌ„ption His Angels Sir are heere waiting vpon your Soule for to carrie it to pleasures for euermore Yet a little while and loe yee shall bee at the vpshotte of all your woe Yee are nowe vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers of hell euen vpon the borders of euerlasting pleasures vnmixed pleasures which shall turne all your teares into triumphes The Pastour Now Sir Gird vp the loynes of your minde make haste to your God who shortlie shall put into your haÌ„d the palme of victorie Sathan is chained vp now for doing you anie more harme The night of your trouble is past Christ that blessed Day spring hath brought a morning mercie vnto your Soule His graces in you hath shined more and more and so shall doe vntill the perfect day euen vntill your Soule carried on Eagles winges reach the hight of Heauen where without teares or tediousnesse are pleasures for euermore Though your tongue now faile you Sir let your heart be busie with God in prayer hee will hearten and encourage you in all the businesse Your taske is at an end Heaue vp your heart to Christ crucified with vs and that with sighes and sobbes the groanings of his owne Spirit Though your bodie now be cold the Spirit of Iesus shall by a free and vitall operation maintaine the heate and vigour of your Soule The Spirit of comfort conueye vnto your soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let vs pray The last prayer for the sicke Man in the verie jawes of death O LORD whose mercies are aboue all thy workes it was neuer thy custome to send away a broken heart without comfort Now heare the secret gâ—…oanes and sighes of thy seruant whose soule is ready in this gasping agonie to come out of its Tabernacle for to coÌ„peare before thee Thou who hast giuen him thy Son for a ransome giue him thy Spirit for a pledge Furnish him with force for to fight and finish this Battell in victory As thou hast bene at the beginning of his beeing euen the beginner of his beeing so now bee thou the ende at which hee aimes euen the ende of all his woes And seeing hee is now in the narrow throat of death helpe him by thy power till hee hath past this passage Put now into him a fresh liâ—…e that in a strong vigour hee may runne with the feete of the Hinde till hee come to thee in eteâ—…nitie Make him now supple and nimble
while he is neere the ende of his race His sillie soule hath beene sore weather-driuen with many temptations now let his battell take an end Receiue his soule in thy Rest. and lull it in the bosome of thy pleasures Bee a shield and a shelter vnto him for to hidde and couer him from the last blowes and painefull thrusts of his enemie the Deuill Disapoint that euill one while hee looketh for the greatest victorie Let him receiue the foulest foile Loose now sweetlie these two which thou hast joyned together that after his eyes with olde Simeon haue seene thy Saluation he may depart in peace Seeing the Battell is nowe come to the laâ—…f stroke make thy Spirit O Lord in him to fight it out that hauing ouercome thou may put the palme of victorie into his hand after that the dayes of dangers are past O draw this soule now vnto thee with the strongest cordes of thy loue Proclaime vnto his Conscience a full a finall remission of his sinnes whether Originall or actuall whether of Commission or of Omission Subscribe his paâ—…don with the arteriall blood of thy blessed Sonne O Father of mercies the Spouse of all faithfull Soules receiue this Spirit into thy wed locke-bedde It was betrothed vnto thee by thy faire promises in the Gospel now according to thy promise accomplish and fulfill that blessed Band in the presence of thine Angels Long Lord hath hee thought on it and earnestlie longed for it Seale thou it now with the sense of thy loue Fulfull it Lord and this day be thou the Bridegroome of his Soule Heere hee hath seene but the Copie of thy countenance let him now come where he may see thee euen as thou art As thou gaue him his measure of grace in the world so nowe giue him his portion of glorie bâ—…sides thy selfe Let nothing sway his thoughts from thee in this last agâ—…nie Season so his heart with thy loue that there bee no roome in his heart for any thing by thy selfe Now loose the pinnes of the Tabernacle while his soule shall bee out of the bodie let it enter into the Palace of pleasures Say vnto it as Laban said to Abrahams seruant Come in thou blessed of the Lord Thou who hast clasped his name within the Booke of life Bind now his soule into the bundle of life Drawe it out of this myrie mortalitie place it among the Angels and spirites of just men who are alwayes in thy presence courting thy countenance wherein iâ—… fulnesse of joye Vnto the end and in the end keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse that Sathan that roaring Lyon bee neuer able to catch him within the reach of his paw Preserue the true rellish and sound joyes of thy Spirit of grace within him till from grace thou bring him vnto glorie where thou shalt crowne thy giftes and graces with thy goodnesse O now open the euerlasting doores let in this Soule decked with the lawrels of victorie Let all the Heauens welcome this conuerted sinner with songes and shoutes of joye O Spirit of Comfort thou hast guided him thorow many seas of sorrowes sit still at the Helme till thou haue brought him to his Hauen O now crowne thy graces with thy glorie Lord Iesus receiue my spirit To the Father Sonne and holie Ghost be euerlasting praise and dominion for euer AMEN Michael and the Deuils dispute for the ' Soule of the sicke Man alittle before its departure out of the Body Sathan I Haue many things to lay to this mans charge I am the Lordes Proctor and Acturney appointed to plead for his justice I haue alreadie sifted his life Of force this Soule must bee damned None Assise can cleanse it It is now taken red hand in the path and passage of sinne The Angel Michael I will not vse against thee a railing accusation neither darre I for my Master the God of mercie and of meekenesse It hath pleased his royall Majestie to license thee to accuse the soules of men Thine accusations are euer most bitter and most bloodie I am heere standing on my Masters side for to defend this Soule which hee hath bought with his blood But what can thou say against this man whose Soule is committed to me for to be carried vnto Paradise I know thee of olde to bee the accuser of the brethren I remember well how once I contended grappled with thee for the bodie of Moses which was buried sore against thy will It is likelie that of it thou thought to make an idole Loose now thy leach and let all thy hell-hounds come forward Come come with thy most foule mouthed objections what caÌ„ thou now alledge against the soule of this man before that it come out of this bodie Thou art heere a Lyon against a Lambe Declare now what thou can in this Assise Thou can say no more than he hath alreadie said against himselfe But come on fâ—…aime thine inditement against him Discharge thy fieâ—…ie dartes with the outmost of thy force Sathan Knowest thou not that there is a large haruest for Hell manie called but few chosen Hee is my Vassall I require but Iustice Let him receiue but according to his deseruinges Heere is a Bill of inditement able to conuinee him In his wickednes he turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell Both fiercelie and feareleslie marching vnder my collours in the pursute of his pleasures hee ranne ryote in the way of wickednesse The Angel Michael Is not God a God of mercie able to forgiue But what hath hee done Sathan Beholde the pieces of Euidence which I produce against him Let all the actions of his life bee brought to a true touch and it shall appeare what a monster hee hath beene In his youth hee scorned at the Thunder of Gods word counting it but Paper shot His soule was neuer grieued to grieue the Spirit of grace seldome came hee to the Church hee was of the kinred of Noahs Raùen delighting to flie about the Arke not willing to enter into it Gods hony word of vnspeakable sweetnesse was vineger to his teeth The pure commandement of the Lord which inlightened the eys was lik smok vnto his eyes the cause of blearednesse In all pointes he was disloyall vnto his God Hee misregarded his Parents He burned with lust like an Ouen heated by the baker Hee so loued his lust that it was his law His hands were full of pickerie his eyes were full of adulterie and his heart was full of guile and his tongue full of lyes euer gaggling like a Goose. He was a cunning clawbacke a paunchpike thanke His custome was to defile the aire with most filthie belghs of blasphemie Hee sported at all reproofes O the noble jugling There there this geare goeth trimme By hooke by crooke he sought for gaine Howe hee wanne it hee cared not if men perceiued not his fraude With Iudas hee was whollie giuen to the
of the Resurrection Let the meditations of Gods mercie and promised fauour rouse vp your Soules from that lumpishnesse and melancholious drowsinesse which may creep in into your hearts in this troublous time Striue to bound and fence your heartes about deligentlie with the thoughts of Gods Fatherlie fauour who shall neuer leaue you fatherlesse Though your father be dead yet God is aliue Now Sir yee who aâ—…t the elder bee yee the more thankfull to God who hath giuen you the first place Shew good example vnto the yonger Oppresse them not but rather bee a father vnto them By your good counsell striue to make them plyable and frameable to Gods will reuealed in his word As for you who are yonger ones bee not discouraged for often grace maketh the yonger to bee the elder and sinne maketh the elder the yonger So Iacob found the blâ—…ssing though Esau was the first borne It is Vertue that maketh the Heire Let your heartes therefore relye vpon the Lord Let him bee the caruer of all your cares If yee depend on him yee shall not want Hee who created the world without matter and preserueth it without meanes is God all sufficient who can easilie finde out meanes for the maintenance of al these that by faith can laye claime to his promise If wealth bee expedient for you the Lord will giue you a large allowance till hee make your Cuppe to ouer flow But if otherwise hee hath appointed to exercise you with pouertie know that he who hath the hearts of all men in his hands can easilie for your comfort stirre vp some who by their liberalitie towards you shall prouide themselues bags vvhich waxe not olde If yee can bend your whole endevour to the seruice of your God hee shall satisfie you with the prouisions of his mercie But if otherwise yee become lewde and prophane haunting euill companie the verie canker and cut-throate of all godlinesse yee shall neuer prosper no not though by a painefull drudgerie ye should draw out the verie life-blood of your hearts It is not earlie rising noâ—… late going to bedde but Gods blessing that enricheth Now the Lord of grace blesse you mine hearts The Lord teach you to set seale these comforts with prayers patience vpon your hearts And seeing the dayes are now euill euen the dregges of dayes I intreate the most High to graunt you grace hour lie to renâ—…w and strengthen your watch that your hearts spirits may be preserued vnblamable and that vntill the day of his most glorious appearance AMEN A diuine and heauenly discourse fit to be read to these that are conueened in the house of mourning that thereby the liuing may be remembered of their mortalitie DEarlie Beloued this our godlie Friend one of Gods excellent Ones is now deceased that peacâ—…ablie like a Lambe into the armes oâ—… his God who hath euer lasting lie fast bund his Soule in the bundle of life The death of such is often a fearfull preâ—…age of much anger and euill to come His Soule is now glorious in the Heauens like a Starre new created in the Skie It is now liuing the life of God aboue where it is filled with the infusion of that 〈◊〉 which wee haue heere on earth 〈◊〉 by imputation Hee hath now alâ—… God and all that is in God in â—…speakable perfection beeing in that place where God is all in all At last after sore fighting and bitter bickering as diuerse godlie persons haue seene through the bent browes of an angrie Iudge hee hath seene the yearning and relenting bowels of a louing Father Now after his Battell ended he hath 〈◊〉 the Spirit Clepsydrâ—… 〈◊〉 his houre glasse is now runne out and his Soule is come to its wished home where it is free from the fetters of flesh Nowe from the â—…hanging turnes of time hee is at last come to Eternitie Thorow many seas of â—…orrows both bitter and brimie hath he sailed before that hee could ariue at that blessed Port. Our hearts cannot be but sorrowfull to bee depriued of such comfortable companie as was â—…is But here iâ—… our comfort and the matter of our joye hee is well and shall bee so for euer By the mercie of his God hee is now passed ouer thâ—… knoppes of the mountaines of miserie and thorow the muddie myres of sinfull mortalitie thorow fearefull tryals and troubles euen from the dyets of grace to the dainties of glorie from the Villages of this world vnto euerlasting 〈◊〉 farre aboue the rolling wheele of all changeable pleasures and smarting paines Poore mans life on earth is like a restlesse whirle-gigge whirled about The mouing heauens are the place of our rest and the resting earth is the place of our restlesse motions The way of this life as wee may see is not adorned with Violets and Roses No not It is full of rubs and thornes and pricking whinnes of piercing griefe O with what paines hath his sillie Soule sought vp the sweete streames of Gods mercie 〈◊〉 to the Fountaine it selfe which is 〈◊〉 to the Heauens God in great mercie hath now 〈◊〉 last after manie dolours and bitter bickerings put his Spirit into the acâ—… tuall and full possession of his 〈◊〉 all joyes Through fyre and water 〈◊〉 Lord hath broght him out into a 〈◊〉 place Now he is free from the bodie of bondage which did hang so fast 〈◊〉 His Soule is set out of the reach of 〈◊〉 troubles and sublunary toyes Now blessed bee our God hee is no 〈◊〉 lyable to our sinfull mortalitie into this earth a gulfe of corruption God at last hath recompenced his light affliction with an euerlasting weight of glorie O but he hath had a painefull time in his sicknes with manie deepe sigh and heauie groane hath hee beene heard in his feares His face could neuer bee dryed for teares continuallie trickling ouer his cheekes Happie is hee now for all the cloudes of his sinnes haue bene dissolued by the raine of mournâ—…full teares where with all Soules must be baptised before that they can be members of the Church Triumphant Now blessed bee God all his teares and his trauels are turned into triumphes If men shedde not â—…eares on earth God cannot wypt them away in heauen All as wee must fight the good fight before â—…hey can catch the Crowne Let vs all learne in him and in â—…his House of mourning to see and conâ—…der the end of vs all that while wee are liuing wee may lay it to our hearts and make it a matter of our nights meditations Happie and thrise happie is hee that can practise that saying of Iob All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite till changing come It is good that wee euer bee watchfull vpon our guarde well prepared for our last departure and finall accounts No man can â—…ll how soone hee shall bee arraigned in the great
ground for Colewort or Cabbage for to liue vpon saying This will I giue thee for thy life-time But if afterward this Lord should say Fetch mee my good feruant out of his clattie Cottage and bring him to my Palace that he may eate at mine owne Table for euer Tell me if by the change that seruāt hath lost Would that seruant think yee say No Lord I will not come to thy Table for thou hast promised mee this Cottage-house for my life-time What Lord in the Land was euer troubled with such an answere And yet indeede it is so that God doeth with his faithfull seruantes when they die into the midst of their dayes When men are departed from this life it is the Lord that hath sent his messenger Death for to fetch their Soules from their bodies which Scripture calleth Tabernacles of clay vnto his heauenlie Mansions there for to banquet eternallie at his Table with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Now tell mee O man what haue yee lost for to goe from the Earth to the Heauens Is there any thing in this world of such worth that should make you desire to liue for to stay from your God but an houre The sicke Man That which yee say Sir is verie true But how few are these who in this world can gladlie condescend to depart out of this life The life is sweete The Pastour I confesse indeede that euery one hath not attained vnto this high degree of grace as to say with S. Paul I desire to bee dissolued c. Yet all the godlie will subscribe to this that all the faithfull are happie who are dissolued Though euerie man can not wish to die yet euerie man of God will say That Death is better than life Death is a salue which healeth vs of all our sores Is not Death Gods messenger sent for to pull the troubled Soule out of this sinfull world as Gods Angel pulled Lot out of S◅dom Is not our life heere a warfare Are we not here as Daniel was in the Dungeon among Lions Are not vvee here with Ieremie sticking fast into the myrie clay Are not wee heere with Israel into the House of bondage ouerburdened vvith sinne as they vvere vvith bricke Are we not heere with S. Paul vnder the bodie of Death And with Ioseph in the stockes not of tree but of sinne If it were well tolde a man what is heere and what hee may looke for in the life to come if hee had but a graine of grace as great as of Mustard seede hee should easilie discerne vvhereof to make choise Is not our life heere a wind and a vapour of vanitie But which is most of all to be considered Is there not heere a necessitie of sinning laide vpon all the liuing Who should not bee glad to bee fredde and ridde of these sinfull bondes Is not this life continuallie sicke of the filthie flooxe of sinne a most lothsome disease When wee seeke our daylie bread wee must immediatelie subjoyne forgiue vs our sinnes First as wee see heere wee must begge our bread and then pardon What then are wee heere but daylie beggers for the bellie The King must begge his bread from God In the Heauens there shall bee no begging but thanking of God for his benefites Who should for all that he can beg on Earth desire for to liue out of Heauen but one houre Are we not all heere vnder a corruptible burden a burden of corruption vnder which the Soule is pressed as a Cart full of sheaues So long as wee are heere our Soules are laden with sinnes A Soule burdened with such baggage runs on wheeles as it were downe an hill all post haste except that God stay it it shall neuer cease till it arriue in Hell where God shall breake it in sunder by the tempest of his wrath The sicke Man But Death is the wages of sinne who shall not feare The Pastour Indeed Death is such of the owne nature But God in great mercie hath made death to the godlie like the Raine-bow which being naturallie a signe of present raine by Gods Couenant becommeth a perpetuall signe of faire weather to come after that raine As throgh Death Christ wrought our Life so must wee bee killed for to bee made aliue The glorious Resurrection must bee through dust and corruption Our paines must goe before our pleasures and lashes before our laughters After that in come pleasures for euermore If wee had the faith of God wee should not much feare the smart of death which by Christ is made transitus ad vitam a passage vnto Life Let vs once passe thorow this Iordan and behold wee are in an instant in Canaan The sicke Man All that is true Sir No man can controle you yet naturallie all loue Life The Life is sweete The Pastour How sweete is it I pray you Is not our whole Life trouble and wearinesse What is our sleeping our resting our eating our drinking but a seruitude to the flesh Who should not desire to bee rid from such seruile necessities who for to bee free of such bondage should not renounce his deare selfe and all the loue of this irk some life To bee with Christ is it not our best Yea is it not our rest what shame is it for Christians to dote so after this present life who should haue learned to long after the life to come Christ came downe that wee might goe vp If wee desire not to goe vp wee know not wherefore hee came downe Hee came downe to bee a Seruant wee goe vp to bee Lords Hee came downe to bee hungrie wee goe vp to a perpetuall Feast Hee came downe to bee banished where hee had not wherevpon to lay his head we goe vp to dwell in Palaces of pleasures into euerlasting Tabernacles In a word hee came downe to distresse to sorrow to paine to miserie to fight against our enemies Deuils Death and temptations yea hee discended vnto Hell we goe vp to Ioy to Honour to Light to Life to Libertie to our Father to our Friends to our Sauiour and Comforter What shall I say more Euen to vnspeakable Glorie in Paradise with God his Angels What a folie is this that a man should desire to bee depriued of such Comforts for a puffe of breath Bee glad Sir to quite the ranke Onions of Egypt for that heauenlie Manna Sweete like Wafers made with honey The sicke Man If a man could bee fullie perswaded of that which ye say I think that hardlie could hee with-hold himselfe from putting hands into himselfe that so hee might change for the better If all that be why should any desire to stay from God but an houre If I may desire to bee dissolued why may I not dissolue my self The working out of a lawfull desire cannot bee vnlawfull The Pastour
No man liuing Sir may absolutelie desire to be dissolued but vnder condition that it bee for the glorie of God and the Saluation of his owne Soule For two respects a man may desire to be dissolued First for to bee deliuered from the bondage of sinne which the Apostle calleth A bodie of death Secondlie for an earnest desire to bee with his God a man may desire to bee dissolued But for no reason must a man dissolue himselfe that were selfe murther If we may not kill our Neighbour whoÌ„ we should loue as our selues neither must wee kill our selues who are the rule and square of neighbourlie loue Man in this world is as a set Watch hee must not remoue till it please him by whom hee was set to command him to come Though lawfullie wee may desire death that we may bee deliuered from the bodie of death which is sinne for to bee with Christ which is meekle better for vs yet wee must not cry for death for some triflles of worldlie troubles as Ionah did for the lossing of his leafes Our desire of Death should bee chieflie grounded vpon a desire to bee with Christ and to bee fredde from the spirituall bondage of our sins well is him that can sincerly say from his heart Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of death That Soule is happie whose desire is vpon that which is meakle better for it To bee with Christ in Scripture stile is called meakle better What say ye now Sir doeth not your heart grone vnder this burden of sinfull death Doeth not your Soule long to bee out of this bodie for to bee with him where it shall bee meakle better for you The sicke Man I take vp the matter better than I did I see by your reasons that there is no reason wherefore a man should desire to die but for to bee with his Christ and to be deliuered from the bodie of bondage which is a death But alas The Pastour I see you yet Sir into a plunge I heard that word Alas Wherefore say yee Alas Yee looke yet as one who desireth to liue My wordes are not gifted with perswasion yee seeme to be afraide at that word dissolued What aileth you There bee doubtlesse some thing within that troubleth you The sicke Man I am sorie to goe out of this world wherevnto I am chained by diuerse respects In the cutting off of my dayes I will mourne with sicke Hezekiah in the words of his doole I am depriued of the residue of my yeares c. The Pastour I see Sir that yee are taking vp the Lamentations of Hezekiah I will striue to make answere to euerie sentence apart Yee are depriued saye yee of the residue of your yeeres Hee is not depriued that hath changed for the better The residue of your few yeeres shall bee turned into eternitie Hee who seeth many yeeres seeth many miseries and which is worse contracteth many sinnes the cause of all our woe Moreouer what is a residue of life Death is not farre when it is farthest The sicke Man But if I die I shall not see the Lord euen the Lord in the land of the liuing The Pastour This is your ignorance What can man see of the Lord in the land of the liuing What can a sinner see of that great IEHOVAH here What is to bee seene on Earth but the Backe-parts of IEHOVAH Into the Heauens wherevnto yee now approach yee shall see that great and glorious IEHOVAH face to face What are all men on Earth but a number of wormes crawling and creeping vpon a clat or clod of clay But againe what is this that ye call the land of the liuing What is all the Land yee see but a dead lump of earth where the most part of men are dead in their sins Doe not the best part die daylie vnto Sin which death is our best life and yet laden with a bodie of death Can ye now call this earth the Land of the liuing Call me not Nahomi pleasant said Nahomi but call me Marah that is bitter for the Almightie hath dealt verie bitterlie with mee So may the Earth say Call mee not the Land of the liuing No rather call mee a dungeon of death a place for the burying of the dead a place where all must needs die and bee as water spilt vpon the ground which cannot bee gathered vp againe The sicke Man But alas if I die I shall behold men no more with the inhabitants of the world The Pastour This heere is your griefe that death will strik you with a blindnes so that yee shall not bee able to see any more the faces of these whom yee loue best into this world as of Wife Children and of Friends of your old acquaintance This is your dâ—…lour theÌ„ that ye shall see them no more Let such thoughts Sir moue these to mourne who know not Death better than that Pagan who speaking of a slaine man said In eternam clauduntur Lumina noctem That is Death closeth mans eyes for euermore This is most false A true Christian knoweth that though both his eyes should sinke â—…owne into his head or droppe out like blobbes or droppes of water yet that with these same eyes runne into water hee and none othér for him shall see his Redeemer Though after my skin said Iob wormes destroy this bodie yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Lay this comfort to your heart Though your eyes were eaten out with the wormes if you die in the faith of Iesus yee shall see God and none other for you and that with these same eyes yee now looke vnto meeâ—… If yee bee perswaded that yee shall see your God in the Heauens in whose face is fulnesse of Ioye yee haue little cause of doole that yee shall no more behold man with the inhabitants of the world What are all the creatures of thiâ—… World but things that dwell in dâ—…st The Sainctes and Angels that dwell into these vpper Chambers whose feete are aboue ouâ—… head are so faâ—… in glorie aboue all the glorie of the world as the Heauens are aboue the Earth As Zebah and Zalmunah said of Gideons brethren so may we say of all these that dwell there euerie one of them is like the Sonne of a King What are all the Creatures below but beggerlie things The sicke Man But alas if I die mine age is departed and remoued from me as a Shepheards tent The Pastour What is your doole It is all then that yee must quite your shepheards tent Now poore man What haue yee lost Yee shall change a poore shepheards tent for the most pleasant Palace of your God a life mortall for a life that is eternall
sore from the Surgeon the greater will his danger bee It is an hard matter when the Patient playeth false with the Physition Lay open your wounds if yee would haue salue fitte for your sores The sicke Man I think shame Sir to tell you what aileth mee yet seeing I haue neede both of instruction of comfort I will be no stranger vnto you whom I know to bee a man of God that is not curious for to ripe vp secret sores for your owne curiositie but rather for to cure them I vvill not conceale the matter from you It is this I haue filled my Barnes and I desire to enjoye the fruites thereof There is no man but hee would desire after great paines ◅o r◅ape some fruites of his labours I vvish that Death would excuse mee for some yeares This is my griefe for I must bee plaine with you mine heart cannot well accord to forsake such comforts The Pastour That Sir is but a worldlie temptation What are Barnes of corne on Earth in comparison of Gods most pleasant Palace in Heauen vvherein are pleasures for euermore Fye vpon Barnes a nest for Myce and Rattons Would yee desire to liue for to enjoye the leauinges of vnbeastes They beginne and as it vvere sit at the first messe Thus after that the Fowles of the Aire haue gotten their share and the Rattons haue gotten their fill poore man as it vvere commeth after all and sitteth downe at the latter meate But vvhat are all these thinges though man should enjoye them all his alone What can hee get of them all but a bellie full of meate What is the Bellie to that spirituall Birth-right and blessing that is laide vp into the Heauens What is the Bellie but a thing ordained for destruction with all that is in it Meats for the Bellie and the Bellie for the meates But God shall destroy both it and them Cast out of your heart the care of your Bellie The Bellie in the Heart maketh a man a monster Let this bee your chiefe care that shortlie your Soule may sitte downe at Gods Table with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in Gods Kingdome What grieueth you now S◅ The sicke Man God hath blessed mee my Moneyes are increased and now my life is but comming to the best The Pastour The richest life is not euer the best life aboundance of Moneyes is no sure token of Gods mercies If it had beene otherwise Christ had neuer cast the Bagge vnto Iudas That churlish Carle in the Gospel that would not let Lazarus dyne with his dogges how soone was his Purple pulled from him and hee made a begger into Hell seeking a droppe of water from him whose scabs his dogges had licked on Earth Nabel like a foole is feasting to day and tomorrow he shall become sicke and die with an heart like a stone within him What fatter then shall hee be of his Feast Beware Sir to marrie your mind with your Money lest yee bee thereby diuorced from Christ S. Augustin said wiselie Matrimonium inter aurum arcam est inter Deum animam Divortium A marriage betweene our Minde and our Money is a diuorcement betweene the Soule and Christ its Spouse It is good for vs lest that wee should loue this world too well that like a curst Step-mother it misuse vs and rather strike vs than stroake vs as it doeth with these worldlie brats who neither liue nor loue a Life but this What thinke yee now Sir of this world The sicke Man I desire yet that God would grant mee some space to liue that I might make some better prouision for my little Children I wish that I might liue till they were better prouided within a few dayes if God would spare mee I hope that I should make a conquest Fye vpon that conquest that maketh a man to desire to tarie from God but one houre Solomon after all his conquests said that hee hated all his labour I said hee hated all my labour which I had taken vnder the Sunne The reason is subjoyned by himselfe Because I should leaue it vnto the man that should bee after mee And who knoweth whether hee shall bee a wise man or a foole Yea hee proued a foole indeed by forsaking the counsell of the old wise for to follow the folie of his young fooles What folie is this I play you for a man to desire to liue for to conquise sparinglie for one that will spend it all lauishlie crying among the drunkards Fill the pynt againe Many children will at one cast of the dyce cast more from them into a night than their fathers were able to win into a yeare What is great riches to the most part of Heires but fuell to their follie Is it not commonlie seene that after the Father hath pined himselfe with scraiping together this thick clay and pelfie dung in cōmeth a forelorne deboched Heire with his drunkē musick singing Veri vades Wee haue spent more than our fathers haue winne A little with GODS blessing is much worth Hardlie can men conquise much with a good Conscience From thence is the prophan prouerbe Well is the Heire whose fathers soule is in Hell The glose is this hardlie can the father inrich his children but by lossing his own Soule What a woefull bargaine is this Neither doeth it euer come to passe that the euill conquist come to the hands of them for whom it was appointed After that the Worldling by hook by crooke hath taken with the angle and hath catcht with the net gathered in his dragge all that is about him At last it commeth to passe that after he hath well ladned his Boate and is come neere the hauen there commeth a blast of judgement which ouer-turneth all into a moment Thus in the highest of his hopes in sight of the Shore ladned and fraughted with the fruite of all his labours of his lyes his guile and deceite he goeth downe to the bottome of the depths so that none is able to rescue him Thus after that first he hath made shipwrack of his conscience he also maketh shipwarcke of all his goods and so is he depriued of his imagined profite What though his shippe should come in What though all should prosper for a while Let Micah steale his mothers siluer and turne it into gods and get a Priest blesse himselfe when hee hath done thinking that all shall prosper now But ere it belong some of the race of the Adder by the way shall come and tak away his gods And if hee run out to follow for his owne they shall either scorne him with what aileth thee or shall boast him to keepe silence saying Let not thy voyce bee heard among vs lest angrie fellowes runne vpon thee and thou losse thy life with the liues of thine house-hold
Let no man blesse himselfe with Micah because hee hath gods at home Though men by manie meanes may become rich and think that they shall leaue great wealth vnto their children God can by as many meanes disapoint them as by blood by shipwracke by fire by water by warre by banqueroupts by plea and by piracie c. He who to day was swaggering in his Silkes and swimming in his wealth speaking of nothing but of thousands within a little space behold him againe and loe all is changed The poore man he goeth and no man regardeth him he is hungrie nacked and colde but not so colde as the charitie of these that may helpe him These who were wont to eate at his table desire no more to see him The thoughts of olde obligations are to them lik letters of Caption for to enforce thē to giue some what to their olde distressed friend But cold are such comforts Heere beholde Sir as in a glasse what vanitie into these transitorie things which men think to make permanent to their posteritie But let a man be rich till he die After that he hath spoiled others to make himselfe wealthie shall his children bee his Heires No not The wealth of the sinner is laide vp for the Iust See how God maketh a Worlding to be as it were a drudge or a packe horse for to gather with the sweate of his browes that wherwith the righteous man may bee sustained As hee made the Rauens to flee and fetch flesh for the nourishing of his Seruant Elijah Some tims also it wil befal otherwise that thewe alth of the sinner shall be laid vp for one worse than himselfe that all the world may see and beholde what vanitie there is in such carking care O wil some say if hee that is dead saw such a man in his house Master of all his labours What would hee now thinke Thus God in a manner making deboched bare men like leane Kine prey vpon the wicked who while they liued wold not with the Oliue leaue their fatnes for to be Kings in Heauē letteth the world see what folie it is to put their trust in such transitorie trashes What say yee now Sir Are yee now free of such earthlie temptations The sicke Man I am miserablie vexed with this world Worldlie things doe what I can runne euer into my minde and trouble mee with carking cares The Pastour So long as a mans heart is clogged with this clay hee hath no power to stirre hand or foote to heauen-ward There is both gall and guile in earthlie mindednesse Well is him whose Soule can sore farre aboue this Region of corruption for to minde aboue all things the things that are aboue The sicke Man My minde alas is like Martha busied about manie things or rather buried in manie things The Pastour But Christ said One thing is necessarie Hee that said it is that which hee said euen that One necessarie thing Wee may passe to life eternall without any other thing But there is such a necessitie in Christ that without him wee can doe nothing Without mee said hee yee can doe nothing Christ is that Best part Maries choise Well is that Soule that maketh him its part He is onely that which shall neuer bee taken from vs But what worldlie thing is that that as yet troubleth you The sicke Man Mine heart Sir is ouer-burdened with the weight of manie cares concerning this Life The Pastour Our Sauiour hath set downe a particular Precept concerning that Take heede said hee to your selues least at any time your heartes bee ouercharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life Such cares may snow downe white haires vpon our hairie scalpe But it is onelie the godlie care the care of the Life to come that worketh Repentance neuer to bee repented of But come to the pārticulars The sicke Man I haue latelie bought some heritage my seruants are plowing it before I die I would wish once to reape the fruites thereof The Pastour To bee worldlie minded is death The command is gone foorth ' none can plead ignorance Loue not the world nor the things of the world Well is him that so liueth heere that he may be counted worthie to enjoy that world It is no time now Sir to thinke of ploughes yee must now leaue all for to follow Christ like Elisha who left his plowing for to follow his new vocation Take now a kisse of your dearest friendes and follow this great Elijah the Lord Iesus the Chariot of all his chosen and the Horse-men of his Israel The sicke Man My Lands are laboured the Haruest draweth neere there is a plentifull croppe vpon the ground Cornes and wheat and all abound The Pastour There is no solide comfort in Wheat or in Corne but onelie in Gods countenance I compare all worldlie things to the Tallow of a Candle and spirituall thinges to the flamme thereof If the Candle bee right set that the flamme bee vpmost the Candle will shin clearelie and giue light But if yee turne the Candle and holde the flamme downe it shall at once drowne in its owne tallow Euen so if the Soule of man bee well set that spirituall thoughts bee vpmost and worldlie cōsiderations sanctified which haue beene melted strained from their drosse be vnder that Soule will shine in holie life before men But if the flamme of the Spirit bee turned downe it will drowne vnder the droppes of such earthlie tallowe By this at last all our light dyeth out like a Candle so that our hearts that were once enlightned become lik a dampish dungeon I confesse so long as wee are here the fire of the Spirit within the best of vs is like ignis in materia fire in an earthlie matter from whence commeth euer some filthie reeke But when once wee shall bee aboue all places wherevnto no reeke can reach this spirituall flamme abstracted from all earthlie matter shall shine most clearlie into the presence of God for euer Are yee not yet Sir resolued Is not your desire now to bee dissolued The sicke Man The world is yet still in my mind I haue takē much paines into it am now but beginning for to get some ease I haue builded an house gladlie would I dwell some space into it Mine heart is sore yea it bleeds for to leaue this Lodging and neuer to come to it againe I had trimmed it for my pleasure and now behold shall I bee disappointed The Pastour There is no great matter of griefe Sir when a man changeth for the better What are all the sieled Palaces of Princes on earth but like the house of a Spider How soone are they all sweept away with the besome of vengeance when God is angrie What are all our dwellinges on earth but Dungeons in a dunghill Let not your
heart Sir bee on your house It is now time to mind the things that are aboue Eye vpon clay and stones What are all the royall Palaces of the world to these statelie houses aboue whereof the floore or pauement glisters with thousands of Starres as with as manie golden nailes o◅ twinkling Dya◅onds There the Sun the Moone the two great Iewels of Heauen shall bee vnder your feete which are now aboue our heade What is within no mortall tongue can tell S. Paul saw there some-thing but hee neuer reuealed it neither was it lawfull for him to declare what he had seene This one thing wee may know seeing the out-side of Heauen is so beautifull how pleasant must it bee within Heauen is like the Kinges Daughter whose whole beautie is within There is profite pleasure health wealth honour happinesse beautie blesse In a word there bee thinges that eye neuer saw neither eare heard yea which neuer could enter into the heart of man The sicke Man But alas must I then forsake all my wealth and so leaue all my treasures behind mee The Pastour Such treasures are but traitours though they bee counted gods God said to Magistrats I haue called you gods But hee neuer called gold god To call gold god is Ashdodien language Gods of gold must be forsaken for to goe to the God of Glorie What are all these worldlie thinges whereon naturall men so doe gaze What are they but idoles lying vanities To ouercome the loue of such lyers is the triumph of Trueth If Gods Arke be within our heart such Dagons will fall downe Turne therefore your eyes from such clay and minde the things that are aboue Manie gather riches as hee that earneth wages to put it into a bottomlesse bagge The first lesson of Christianitie is selfe denyall The Sicke Man How is it then Sir that a man must goe through this world for to come to Heauen The Pastour Euen as the Israelites desired to goe through the Land of Sihon the King of the Amorites for to come to Canaan the figure of Heauen Let mee goe through thy Land said Israel Wee will not turne aside into the fieldes nor into the vineyards neither drinke of the waters of the wells wee will goe by the Kings high way vntill wee be past thy Countrey It is so that wee must passe through this world for to come to that heauenlie Canaan we must not turne asid into the faire fields of pleasure nor drink our selues drunke in its vineyards But wee must follow directlie the rule of Gods Law the King of Heauens high way that so we may enter into Canaan What say ye Sir Is it not time to bee resolued The sicke Man Mine heart is pined within mee It is like to breake for sorrow when I looke to my little Children Who shortlie shal be fatherlesse Alas hard shall their estate be when I shall bee away who will take care of them The Pastour That which Christ said to Peter may bee said to you O man of little Faith why hast thou doubted Hath not God promised to shew mercie vnto thousands of these that loue him If the King of this Land should now come himselfe to your bed-stocke and say Iames or Iohn heere I giue to you mine hand befor God and good witnesse that I shall bee a Father to your Children after you and shall so prouide for them that they shall want nothing that may doe them good If yee heard such a man make such promises I thinke that yee should not bee in paine for the estat of your childrē And yet what is a King but a man But so it is that all men are lyares or may lie But God who can not lie hath giuen his Hand and his trueth to the faithfull man yea hath oblished himselfe by an oath and hath taken Heauen and Earth to bee witnesse that hee shall neuer forsake the godlie man nor his seede his promise is to thousands If yee beleeue God to bee true relye vpon his promise Let not the care of Children trouble you any more prepare your selfe for God and let Death bee welcome Put your house to an order in time Discharge your selfe of all worldlie burdens denude your hands and your heart of all temporall affaires that your Soule haue nothing to doe but to waite vpon your God It is not time to bee combered with the world while the whole heart should bee taken vp with heauenlie meditations It is now high time to thinke earnestlie vpon that life wherevnto yee are going by Death It would seeme Sir that yee are not contentas yet for to remoue What can this be that troubleth you shuld not your heart rejoyce to goe vnto your God The sicke Man I finde contrarie draughts within mee Your wordes indeede Sir beginne to worke vpon mine heart and to draw vp my Soule toward the pleasures that are aboue But againe I finde the desires of this life like weightie paisses drawing mee downe to the ground againe This is my regret Alas must I then leaue this world and the light thereof and neuer see it againe any more Shall I beholde man no more with the inhabitants of the worlde Shall I neuer see after this into the Land of the liuing any of all these whom I haue loued so well The Pastour Sir it shall bee your farre best to suffer the loue of Christ swallow vp the loue and all other considerations of worldlie thinges as Moses his serpent swallowed vp the serpents of the Magicians What euer seemeth pleasant into this world vnto the naturall eye it is but by juggling of the senses If we haue the grace of God this grace shall be indeede like as a foure nooked Clauer is in the opinion of some viz a most powerfull meanes against the juggling of the sight If wee could seeke this grace it would let vs see the vanitie of such thinges which beguile the naturall senses The eye of a mans Soule is betimes like the eye of a man come out of a bilious feuer all things seeme to him to bee yellow because of the bile which haue peruerted his sight Sathan can forge temptations like glasse of whatsoeuer colour hee pleaseth wherethorow all things seeme to bee of the colour of his temptations Thorow one glasse a mans owne spouse will seeme to be filthie Thorow another a bordel-whore will seeme to bee pleasant Thorow one the world will seeme to bee glorious thorow another the brightest heauens will seeme to bee but cloudes Thorow one fables will seeme to be Scripture thorow another Scriptures will seeme to bee but fables Thorow one if a man feast as Christ did hee will seeme to bee a glutt◅n thorow another if hee feast with the Baptist hee will seeme to bee a deuill The chiefe gripe of your temptation is in this that
make answere Oh but I am pressed with an heaui◅ hand I feare much my last houre My Soule is sore troubled The Pastour Learne of Christ in his trouble Now said hee is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father deliue◅ mee from this houre But for this cause came I into this houre Father glorifie thy Name As hee did so doe yee Hee fearing the houre was earnest with God in prayer for to bee deliuered from it and yet most humblie submitted himselfe vnto his Fathers will So doe yee If ye feare greatlie that houre pray feruentlie that God deliuer you from it and yet notwithstanding let God haue all his will of you His will shall eu◅r bee your well The Sicke Man But alas my paines are grea◅ my breach is like the sea Gods rod vpon mee is torne with stripes and worne to the stomps In my torments I both feare and feele his wrath If hee loued mee would he scourge mee with such scorpions The Pastour Whom God loueth hee chasteneth and scourgeth euerie Sonne whom hee receiueth By this yee see plainelie that hee will receiue none to himselfe but those whom hee is minded to scourge This scourging whereof yee complaine is Gods loue-token telling you that hee is minded for to receiue you Woe ◅o the Childe whom the Father will not correct God commandeth louing Fathers to chastise their children till they cry His command is also that they bee not hindered for their cryes Chasten thy Sonne said God while there is hope and let not thy Soule spare for his crying So long as there is life there is hope While God chasteneth you it is a token that there is hope Woe to that man whom GOD disdaineth to strike It is a sore word when a Father or a Master saith to a Childe I despaire of him there is none hope I giue him ouer will strik him no more It was a fearefull vvord that God said to the rebellious Israelites I will not visite your Daughters when they are harlotes nor your Spouses when they are whoores That is I will correct them no more but let them runne head-long to their owne destruction Woe to him vvhom God vvill not correct Certe tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur God is most angrie when hee seemeth least to bee angrie The wicked are most fearefullie plagued when God spareth them most Let not therefore your sore paines discourage you but rather comfort you as beeing a speciall token that God will receiue your Soule What reckes what this Carion suffer if so be that God receiue the Soule Shall I not drinke of my Fathers Cup said Christ * To drinke of a Kings cup it vvould bee thought an honour See then vvhat honour is in the affliction of the godlie thereby they drinke of the King of Heauens cup This is also a token of our friendship vvith Christ vvhen wee drinke vvith him of one cuppe Men will not drinke of one cuppe with their enemies Rejoyce then Sir to drink vvith Christ in your Fathers cuppe Though this cuppe bee bitter at the brimme the bottome will haue a pleasant farewell Thinke vvell vpon this Sir and possesse your soule in patience despare neuer of Gods mercie though hee seeme to bee angrie depend vpon him trust into him though hee should slay you In confidence of h◅s Loue rest and sleepe in his bosome hang on him saue his honour by trusting in him If this yee doe I assure you that yee shall dye sweetlie resting into his armes The sicke Man I finde Sir my paines greatlie to increase The Pastour Bee of good comfort If your paines increase God will increase your patience with your paines he is mercyfull and will surelie strengthen you in the weakest houre Gods strength is made perfect in weaknesse In the meane time bee fighting out the good fight manfullie Hold vp your hands with Moses against Amaleke Pray feruentlie to your God that hee would cast into your memorie all the good thinges that euer yee heard or reade wherewith your Soule as with a rempart may bee guarded against the houre of temptations Pray oft-ten with Christ Father deliuer mee from this houre What say yee Sir It appeareth that there bee some thing into your mind yet that vexeth you The sicke Man This Soule of mine is verie loath to depart from this bodie They be of olde acquaintance haplie long shall it be before they meete againe Friendes cannot bee but sorie while they shedde The Pastour That is naturall to all But grace in the Godlie must rule Nature Wee must gladlie leaue all for to goe liue with Christ we must deny our selues for to confesse him we must desire to be dissolued for to bee with him hee who loueth any thing better than him shall not bee found worthie of him Your Soule say ye is sorie to goe from the body What are our bodies for the present but prisons of clay Let them goe to clay till the day of the Resurrection come when those painefull prisons shall bee turned into pleasant Palaces What reckes of an inch of time heere on Earth in respect of eternitie in Heauen Should a mans heart so itch after an inch of Earth that hee would desire to tarrie from Heauen but an houre The Soule must turne its backe vpon the bodie for to turne its face vnto the God of Glorie This is but a childish temptation It is for women children to weepe at the taking of adewes chiefelie while these that depart are going to a better condition of life Because the day draweth towards Euening it is now time for mee to remoue I hope God willing to come againe the Morrow and to visite you that I may minister vnto you some Spirituall comforts In the meane time seeing your minde hath bene so perplexed with carnall temptations concerning Life Lāds Children and Riches Cause read vnto you this night in mine absence the Book of Ecclesiastes from the beginning vnto the end where ye shall see as in a glasse the vanitie of all these things wherewith your Soule now is most enamoured If ye haue time cause also reade vnto you Iob 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Before I goe Sir it shall bee best that I recommend you vnto God by prayer The first Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD in whose hands is the gift of the Spirit of groanes inspire our heartes at this time that with an heauenlie disposition wee may fall downe before thee vpon the knees of our Soules quicken our dead and drowsie heartes to the performance of this duetie of calling vpon thy Name Thou is not close handed to these that seeke thee in sinceritie wee are ashamed O LORD euen wee all who are heere before thee on the Earth thy Foote-stoole wee are ashamed for to face the Heauens the Throne of thy Majestie Our heartes are
so fullie fraughted with all sortes of sins which like most filthie streames flow from the first fountaine or rather puddle of our originall sinne which wee haue from the Loynes of Adam Wee are all infected with this spirituall Leprosie there is nothing that can wash vs and make vs cleane saue onelie the Iordan of the blood of Iesus Besprinkle our consciences O LORD with the vertue of that Blood which cryeth for better things than the blood of Abel Seale vp thy Loue in our heartes by the blood of the Sealed man whom Thou the Father did seale and appoint to bring Life eternall to the world In him thou art well pleased In his Name and for his Loue wee begge thy fauour He himselfe hath tolde vs that what wee shall aske thee in his Name we shall receiue it O Father of mercies remember the promise of thy Sonne In confidence of his Command wee take the boldnesse at this time particularlie to put vp our prayers vnto thee for this thy diseased Seruant tossâ—…d to and fâ—…o with diuerse temptations Sathan the enemie of his Saluation the feare of Death the loue of the world and of worldlie things haue set themselues in Battell-array like armies betweene his Soule and the entrie of Heauen They haue maliciouslie ensnared his heart and taken his affections captiues with the immoderate loue of perishing thinges Oh how hath hee beene bewitched with the seeming sweetenesse of such vanities O Thou LORD IESVS the LORD of Life encourage him so with thy liuelie Spirit that he may be bold couragiously to face Death and the Graue Put these interrogations in his mouth O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy victorie Cause thy Spirit whisper in his eare that thou hast put out the life of Death Cast into his rememberance the words wherewith Thou boasted Death and the Graue O Death I will be thy plagues O Graue I will bee thy destruction Let his Soule knowe that the Graue is a Bed of rest for all these that die in the LORD wherein they rest from their labours beeing at ease in peace without any toile or turmoile Worke in his heart a desire to be dissolued for to bee fred from the sinfull bonds of mortality for to goe dwell where hee shall neuer anger the Lord againe Let the Loue of Christ waine his heart from the desire of anie abiding heere O deare IESVS who was both buffeted slaine and buried for to saue man set the print and stampe of thy mercie vpon this Soule Seuer all his thoughts from all that is earthlie whether it bee Life Lands Children Houses or whatsoeuer other thing may allure him for to sojourne heere in a strange Land wherein wee are all strangers from God whom wee cannot see heere but behind Vntye his heart from the loue of this his natiue soile Purge him of this out-bearing humour O LORD flesh and blood will neuer teach a man to renounce his deare selte and such other carnall things wherewith hee is in phantasie The earthlie minde is so lumpish that it wearieth to thinke of thee and of the pleasures of thy Palace A carnall hearte is euer rouing and wandering heere about this worlds businesse Martha is a mother of many Children who trouble themselues about many thinges But few are these that with Marie can fold their heart for to sit downe at the feete of IESVS for to make choise of that best part which should neuer bee taken from them Thou to whoÌ„ nothing is impossible draw this Soule vnto thee make the bent of his affection to bee vpon thee O great IEHOVAH thou hast heard and seene how carnall temptations haue teared the Soule of thy Seruant this day in the bedde of his languishing Immoderat cares for thinges below haue depriued him of all rest and joyes which he should haue in thee Wee must confesse to thee and from his heart hee acknowledgeth to bee true that his minde hath beene too bent vpon such perishing shadowes which can not bee gripped Such trashes of no worth haue taken too much roome into his heart Hee who is not content to quite all for to come to thee is not worthie of thee But LORD if mans Saluation were grounded vpon the sand of his owne worthinesse such a building could not stand against the winds floodes of temptations But his Saluation shall neuer bee branled because it is builded vpon the euerlasting and most sure Rocke the foundation of thy Church O LORD wee faile all in many things If hitherto this thy Seruant hath not as hee should minded thâ—… thinges which are aboue but lodged in their place the desire of thinges below now in thy greaâ—… mercie inlighten his mistie mindâ—… and bee mercifull to him in thâ—… thing Make the flesh now to cede and giue place vnto the Spirit Let the heauens come in with the pledges of thy Loue which no mortall armes can fadome Come with thy Spirituall and diuine motions and fill therewith the chambers of his heart where earthlie thoughts had their abode Make his Soule to inuite thy Spirit to come in Saying with Laban Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without O deare IESVS direct so all his thoughts that hee wearie himselfe no more with the desire of that which sooner or later heee must â—…orgoe Why should thornie cares for dust and clay choake the good motions of thy Spirit Let no such care cumber him any more for foolish fáding commoditie Dissolue this glew by which his heart is tyed to the ground In thy Light let him see Light whereby hee may perceiue how fraile fickle are all such transitorie trashes which beeing too much loued both coole our zeale and clogge our affections so that they can in no wise soare vp toward thee O blessed Sauiour in whom is the very pith sweetest marrow of Gods mercies make thy seruants heere to loue thee aboue all things in heauen or earth Make his heart to say Whom haue I in Heauen but thee Make him to loue thee for thy selfe and not for thine onelie which is but an hyred Loue Put in thine owne hand at the hole of the doore of his heart and let some droppes of the Mirrhe of thy mercie this night fall vpon the handle of the Barre that his Soule beeing affected therewith may runne out of the Chamber of sleepe for to seeke him who loueth his Soule euen his blessed Sauiour the LORD IESVS Bee mercifull to all thine afflicted members in the Church militant fighting vnder the bloodie Banner of the LORD IESVS CHRIST The Church is thy Spouse keep her as the Apple of thine eye make all her members with one minde and one mouth to glorifie thy Name Blesse our gracious Soueraigne the Kings Majestie with thy best blessings Adorne him with spirituall Graces and giftes wherewith hee may please thee in his whole carriage both Ecclesiastice and Ciuill Make Iustice and Iudgement the habitation
of his Throne make Mercie and Trueth goe before his Face Blesse His Royall Match make thy mercie to bee shed abroad in Her Heart Cloth Her with the Royall apparell of Christs Righteousnesse Let readinesse to heare the Preaching of the Word bee Her Eare-ring and good Workes in Her Hand like golden Rings vpon Her Fingers Write vpon the Tables of Her Heart the Loue of true Godlinesse The LORD bee mercifull to the Common-wealth of this Land protect It from the rage of forraine Enemies Let neuer thy protection depart from this Land Let it bee like that Bed of Solomon Threescore stronge men are round about it of the valiant men of Israel They all handle the Sword and are expert in warre euerie one hath his sword vpon his thigh for the feare by night The LORD be gracious vnto vs all whō are heere vpon our kneees before Thee What wee haue said to Thee on earth LORD heare Thou in Heauen Let this afflicted Soule haue a proofe of thine own Trueth that the effectuall prayer of the Righteous auaileth much LORD hea◅ vs for the sake of him who is righteousnes it selfe in whose most perfect Prayer we close vp allour sutes saying Our Father which art c. The Peace Grace and Mercie of our GOD bee with you Sir for euer I hope that by Gods Grace I shall see you earlie in the Morning The sicke Man The LORD render to you according to his gracious promise made to all these that serue him in sinceritie A great blessing requireth great thankes I neuer deserued such kindnesse at your hands The lesse deseruing bee in mee the more deeplie doe I hold my selfe bound vnto your loue I pray you Sir be as good as your word come againe earelie in the Morning The Spirit of IESVS goe with you THE SECOND DAYES Conference Of spirituall temptations The Pastour GOD saue you Sir How haue yee rested this Night Haue yee found any working of Gods Spirit within you since our last conference Is your minde so at quiet now that yee may boldlie say with Simeon Now let thy seruant depart in peace The sicke Man Alas Sir Satans temptations are like that Serpent of Lerne called Hydra which had fiftie heades whereof one beeing cut off two sprang vp in the place thereof I take that serpent to haue beene but a fable But that which I say may bee written for an Historie Many heads of temptations haue yee cut off with the sword of Gods word But now I think that for euerie head cut off two are sprung vp in the place thereof All my temptatons hitherto haue beene but vpon the skin like the scratch of a pinne wrinkles but not woundes All my troubles hitherto hath beene but matters of trifles viz. Feare for my Life feare for my Children feare for the Graue of this our muddie mortalitie and for other such trifles and trashes vnworthie for to trouble a couragious Spirit The Spirit of a couragious man said Solomon will beare his infirmitie But the wounded spirit who can beare it well is the child of God in his ◅orest sicknes for while his bodie is sicke his Soule is sound His God in great loue will make all his bed in his sicknesse and strengthen him into the bed of languishing Hee whom God loueth is armed with Faith and patience all his troubles are but outward scrappings vpon the skinne The temptations wherewith I am lashed are spirituall woundings for my sinnes which neuer troubled mee before I heard oft-ten of such troubles but I neuer knew before this time what such things did meane Thinke ye Sir that the Spirit of a godlie man can bee thus wise troubled I heare Dauid crying in his mourning There is no soundnesse in my flesh neither is there anie rest in my bones But what reckes of flesh and bones if the Spirit were free The Pastour The most godlie that euer liued haue suffered spirituall woundes Christ the Captaine of our Saluation said That his Soule was sadde euen vnto the death Iob cryed that h◅s Spirit was drunken vp with the poyson of Gods arrowes The arrowes of the Almightie said hee are within me the poyson whereof drinketh vp my Spirit See how that holie man of God complaineth that his Spirit was like a drinke drunken vp by the poyson of Gods arrowes By this yee see that spirituall wounds are alloted to the dearest of Gods Elect so that they are not exeemed from inward blowes Trouble of Conscience is the disease of the innocentest Soule The sicke Man That satisfieth mee not As for Christ the blowes which hee suffered in his Soule were blowes of satisfaction for the sinnes of others As for Iob these blowes were blowes of probation of tryall for to let the world see that he was not an hypocrite that serued GOD for rewardes as Sathan did alledge But it is not so with me who am a bond slaue of corruption I suffer for my sinnes which are euer before mee The fainer I would forget them they flow the faster into my rememberance The voyce of my Conscience followeth mee with hue with cry Though God hath spared thee long thou hast not beene bettered looke now for vengeance after so long delayes I can make no answere I can not denie but God hath spared mee long In this is my greatest feare The higher a stroake bee fetcht the longer it is in comming But the higher it bee lifted the heauier it will fall The Pastour I answere to that which yee said first viz. that Christs sufferings are no comfort to you because they are blowes of satisfaction The afflictions of Christ were of diuerse vses first of all for to make payment to Gods Iustice for our sinnes Secondlie he suffered that by his own experience of sense hee beeing expert what it is to suffer might assure vs that hee is both a mercifull and a faithfull high Priest For in that hee himselfe hath suffered beeing tempted he is able to succour thē that are tempted Thus the Apostle declareth plainelie afterward Wee haue not said hee an high Priest which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities But was in all pointes tempted like as wee are yet without sin This experience which he had of our miserie is called his learning Though hee were a Sonne yet learned hee obedience by the things which he suffered Hee also suffered for to bee an example vnto vs. The sicke Man I vnderstand not well these words that Christ learned obedience by his sufferings The Pastour The words indeed seeme obscure The most Learned think that Christ is said to haue learned obedience by his sufferings because while he suffered hee felt indeed how difficile a thing it is talem obedientiam Deo praestare to yeeld such obedience vnto God others say that by his suffrings hee joyned to his diuine
hold and heaue vp like a buckler betweene Gods wrath and our sinfull Soules In what case finde yee your Conscience to bee for the present The sicke Man One deepe calleth to another deepe at the noyse of Gods water Spouts My sorrow is like the Sea it ebbeth and it floweth As I haue swimmed thorow one deepe temptation I fall into another that is deeper My braine is turned with a whirling giddinesse The Pastour There is no such deepnesse either in our sinnes or in our troubles but the mercie of God in Christ shall bee able to ouer-reach it by innumerable fathomes S. Paul said that hee was assured that neither high nor depth shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God Though affliction raine downe vpon vs like water falling from spouts they may well wash vs but shall not bee able to drowne vs A godlie man should not be afraide for a spoâ—… full of bitter waters Though thâ—… waters of the sea roare be troubled Though the Mountaines shake with the swelling thereof yea though the surges thereof should boast the cloudes heere is the faithfull mans comfort There is a riuer the streames whereof shall make glad the Citie of God Thogh the Mediterranean Sea yea the great Ocean with its surges should boast Gods Ierusalem a little riuer or brooke a Kidron of Gods grace sending out streames of comfortes like the waters of Siloe shall make glad the Citie of God The sicke Man But how shall I passe thórow to Canaan behold before mee what floodes of iniquities ouerflowing their bankes as in the swelling of Iordan Such fearefull floodes ruâ—… betweene me and Heauen 〈◊〉 place appointed for my 〈◊〉 The â—…our 〈◊〉 â—…oake with the garment 〈◊〉 Christes righteousnesse will diuide the floodes of Belial as Elisha diuided the Iordan by striking it with the mantle of Elijah that hee might safelie passe thorow Christes merits are like the Arke which made the Iordan to goe backe for to make a way for Israel vnto Canaan Our heartes like the Priestes must stand hard by the side of this Arke till all our affections the Lords Armies be come thorow the swelling Iordan of grieuous afflictions The sicke Man While I beholde my selfe I abhorre my selfe The eye of my God seeth mee and what am I but like a bemired Dogge trodde by Sathan into the puddle of perdition Alas when good motions came into â—…e heart I crosed them with my lustes Now cursed be my lusts I am so filthâ—… â—…hat I abhorre my selfe my sinnes are so 〈◊〉 that nothing is able to make them 〈◊〉 The Pastour Know yee Sir what God said of olde in Isaiah Come now and let vs reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall bee as white as snow though they be red lâ—…k crimsin they shall bee as vvoole If yee could but reason a little with God ye should find this to be true There is no sinne which Christes blood is not able to purge What euer your sinne be if yee can repent he can forgiue Christ can doe anie thing butthis hee cannot saue him that will not repent Seeing yee know him to bee infinite in mercie haue all your recourse to him Take once a proofe of his mercie Humble your selfe at his feete and see whether or not there bee mercie with him that hee may bee feared The seruants of Benhadad knowing that the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings Put sack-clotâ—… vpon their loynes ropes vpon their heads for to seeke mans mercie which also they found Shall man finde merâ—… into the narrow bowels of a man and 〈◊〉 hee bound the holie One of Israel Christ who is not onelie true but Trueth it selfe hath said Whatsoeuer yee shall aske in my Name that vvill I doe Hee who is true may lye but Trueth can not lye The sicke Man That is trueth While I consider your comfortes for the distressed Soule I thinke that all your purpose pointeth chieflie at Christ as though hee alone were the ground of Grace Let mee heare I pray you more at large what Christ is vnto vs. The Pastour Hee is Emmanuell God with vs God with man God in Man God-Man In Him God and Man are but one Person Our life is hid with Christ in God Because wee did eate of the forbidden Fruite Hee was hanged vpon a cursed tree Hee hath borne vs such a loue as is vnspeakeable What tongue 〈◊〉 forme wordes sufficieâ—…â—…or to expresse the least part of the same By the conduite pype of his Humanitie Grace for Grace hath beene conueighed to our graceles Soules who can expresse his Loue hee loueth vs to the end and of his Loue there is none end This I will say That hee hath borne to man such a loue that hath made all mankind like a Banquerupt so farre vnable to pay the principle that though man should loue his Sauiour withall his might and his minde yet should hee not pay so much as the interest of so great a loue No though hee should giue his bodie to bee brunt for the honour of his Name No though he should for his sak haue his name if it were possible scraiped out of the Booke of Life Though all our Soules should suffer for his honour the euerlasting paines of the damned all these paines were not to bee counted the interest of his paines for vs It is more that a Prince get a deadlie hurt in a Battell thaÌ„ that a thousand common Souldiers were slaine It is more that the Prince of Heauen suffered vpon the crosse but an houre than that a thousand worlds had beene cast into a thousand hells for to bee tormented for euer There is no proportion in suffering betweene the creature him who was both God and Man into one person O then what can be the interest of that principall loue that moued God to die for man Let this bee like a Bell ringing for to waken your drowsie Soule Let your Soule like Iohn leane vpon the blessed bosome of Iesus Haue euer your eye vpon this Mercie-seat The sicke Man Is it onelie then in Christ Sir that Saluation is to bee found All Scripture would yee say doeth leauell at him The Pastour The Scripture is plaine There is none other Name giuen vnder heauen among men whereby wee must bee saued Hee is full of the bowels of loue Hee is that onelie Sauiour pointed out by both the Testaments Like as the two Cherubims though seuered one from another yet looked one towards another and both vpon the Mercie seate Euen so the Olde and New Testament looke one towards another yet point at one the same Christ the marrow and kernell of mans Saluation All Religion is in this that wee know Christ This is mans Saluation to know Christ and him crucified
In such a man there must bee some stirring of the pulse of a spirituall life A dead man knoweth not that hee is dead no more doeth a dead soule A seared conscience feeleth not defertions That man hath the beginning of grace who can say from his heart I haue no grace in my selfe but onelie to finde that I haue no grace This wee must all know that the best of Gods Sainctes will bee troubled with temporall desertions as Ionah was while hee was wrapt with waues and with weedes in the bottome of the sea Out of this bellie of hell they will cry to God Why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Most godlie Soules may swarfe in sinne but they cannot die in their sins A spirituall man may be do◅ked in a sea of sin or sorrow but can neuer be drowned At last God shall make him sing with Ionah Yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruptions O Lord my God The spirituall life and light which God hath once put into the Soule of man can neuer be totallie extinguished Gods graces and his giftes are without repentance Iudas from horrour may rin to the halter but Peter cannot perish The Sicke Man Thinke yee then Sir that a man cannot fall from the grace of God if once hee hath beene receiued in Grace may not Grace like some plants for a space take roote and thereafter wither May not God begin a good worke into a man and after leaue it imperfect The Pastour Gods working in the godlie is not like the doing of him that beginneth to build an house before hee count his cost but is not able to finish it I am confident of this verie thing said S. Paul that hee which hath begunne a good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Gods spirituall gifts and graces which are without repentance come neuer within the compasse of Gods Reuocation * God will make Saul a King and againe repent that euer hee was crowned and thereafter will put him frō his kingdome Hee will lend out a Talent and after take it backe againe Hee will giue to man a tongue and thereafter make him dumbe Hee will giue Health Wealth Riches and after take all backe againe The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken may be said of al things except of his spirituall and speciall graces These hee giueth once but neuer taketh them backe againe Sinne indeed will waken and diminish the sense and feeling of their operation but can neuer take them quite away Grace in a godlie Soule will bee betimes like flaxe smoking without a flamme or like embers vnder an heape of ashes Though all seeme to bee dead out yet there is some little secret spunke within which shall neuer bee quenched New sinnes I confesse are verie dangerous they will wonderfullie impaire the sense of mercie into faithfull Soules yea so that to their judgement the Spirit of God will seeme altogether to haue forsaken them But yet into their most desperate-like-cry there is a My of Faith in their prayer My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Grace in a godlie Soule will be like sappe into an Oake or Elme in the frostie dayes of December hidde close within the barke While Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse remoueth his hote beames from the faithfull Soule the Soule drouppeth like an Herbe into a winter day Grace like sappe runneth in to the heart and there lurketh for a spake But againe so soone as this Sunne beginneth to returne with the heat health of his countenance in a new Spring-time then will appeare againe first bude then blossomes then flourishes and after fruites That which was hid of before is incontinent perceiued As seede now cast into the ground seemeth to bee a dead thing and yet hath life in it so is Gods grace aliue and quickening when it seemeth farre otherwise In a sowne a man liueth though hee seeme to bee dead The life of God in a man can neuer altogether bee choaked with sinne Our miserie is not able to ouer-reach his mercie A sparkle of fire should be more able to burne vp the sea than mans sinnes for to dry vp the blood of his mercie Where grace is begunne a man may fall but hee can neuer fall away If Sir ye haue found once the life of God within your Soule yee haue receiued a sure pledge pawne of immortalitie say to your Soule And now my Soule returne vnto thy rest The sicke Man There is no rest within mee I am alas as a man vpon a raging Sea tumbled and tossed with such fearefull temptations which make all the bowels of my bellie to wamble The Pastour Sea sicknesse Sir is sore while it lasteth But many seeke this sicknesse for to cure them of a worse Take courage God hath imbarked you into this temptation for to cause you caste out some corruptions which lye lurke about your heart Bee content to tarie a little space vpon the Firth till the filth of you stomacke bee cleane purged away Assure your selfe that all this sore sicknesse shall worke your health in the latter end which shall cause your to sing For his mercie endureth for euer In the shadow of Gods wings mak your refuge vntill these calamities passe ouer The sicke Man I am euer in great doubt of my selfe The Pastour Though ye doubt of your selfe yee must not doubt of Gods kindnesse and compassions If ◅e doubt that God can bee mercifull to your sinnes yee deny your Creede wherein yee see forgiuennesse of sinne to bee an expresse Article of Faith Though for some space yee be troubled with doubts at last ye shall knowe by his Spirite within that Christ was no more willing to suffer for sinners than hee shall proue both willing and able to saue you Gods custome is to choose the hardest way for the best end partlie for to proue his power partlie for to try our trust The sicke Man I wish it be so But for the present I finde a feare within mee which maketh my Soule to tremble I euer thinke that hardlie can it bee that the Spirit of God would dwell into mine heart which is a very cage of corruption If the men of God when they see bordels abhor them and goe by them shall not the Spirit of God much more passe by mee yea abhor me who of mine heart haue made a most filthy stew Moreouer Satan is busie with his Bellowes blowing at the juniper coales of Gods wrath that against mee may be kindled a consuming fire The frowne of a Prince may bee the fauour of God But when God frowneth who shall shew fauour O what a cry is
God for this chastisement Though for a space yee bee in the fearefull depths of temptations Let nothing mak you to despaire Christ the most solide Rocke of your Saluation shall turne all such surges into froth While Ionah was in the bellie of hell and all the billowes of Gods wrath passing ouer him yet vvould he not despaire into that hell but beeing tumbled vp downe there hee trembled in his belieuing and belieued in his trembling Then I said I am cast out of thy sight There was his trembling Yet I will looke againe toward thine holie Temple There was his belieuing And the Lord spake to the Fish and it vomited out Ionah vpon the dry land these were the fruites of his Faith Learne Sir of Ionah not to despaire were it in the bellie of hell Though for a space ye as it were goe downe with that Prophet to the bottomes of the mountaines the time shall come that yee shall sing to God yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruption O Lord my God God for a space for the sinnes of his chosen for his glorie for his praise for proofe for example and manie other reasons may bee ecclipsed from shining to the sillie sinfull Soules of his Turtles But there is none obscuritie that shall be able for euer to restraine from them the Celestiall influence of his blessed beams of comfort In a litle wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with euerlasting kindnes will I haue mercie on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer The sicke Man But alas mine heart is al◅eadie wounded with vncurable wounds The Pastour In Christ is your remeede If yee bee wounded there is health in his winges for the healing of your wounds Though for a space such wounds bee sore in your feeling yet fret not Yee would gladlie suffer all that and more if yee knew how many stripes Heauen were worth Though Christ tarie yet he will not tarie He is more sensible to our sores than we can imagine Belieue him while hee speaketh These bee his words of sense Hee that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye Be of good heart Sir Christ shall bee the Iudge of our sinnes who was judged for our sinnes He to whom all judgement is deliuered was deliuered for vs vnto death Yee say that your heart is wounded let this bee a salue for your sore a broken heart is the verie heart of repentance neuer to bee repented of The heart which was neuer wounded for sinne is deadlie wounded with sinne The heart which was neuer wounded for sin hath neuer known the vertue of Christes woundes the onelie remeede of sinne Be of good courage in this good fight like the Church who for her valour in spirituall warfare is compared to the troopes of horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh Now seeing the day groweth to an end after that in my prayer I haue recommended you to Gods protection and direction I will leaue you vntill morrow Let vs pray A Prayer for the sicke Man tossed with spirituall temptations O LORD how terrible art thou when thou art angrie at thy creatures Who can stand before thee a cōsuming fire When thou is prouocked the Earth shaketh and trembleth the foundations of the hilles are moued When thy wrath is kindled smoke commeth out of thy nostrils and out of thy mouth commeth a deuouring fire whereby coales are kindled O the terrour of these euerlasting burnings Who darre approach vnto thee Who shall bee so bolde as to stand before thee seeing there is none so fierce that darre stirre vp the Leuiathan one of thy Vassals whose scales are his pride whose eyes are lik the eye lids of the morning who by his neesinges maketh a light to shine kindleth coals by his breath O GOD most gracious make thy North winde to awake and blow vpon him for the cooling of his conscience parched with fierie temptations Change thine angrie countenance toward this sillie cast-downe Soule sore tossed and troubled with spirituall tempest O heare our earnest sute and bee not deafe towards vs O let the bright beames of thy mercie disperse and breake thorow the cloudie glominesse of thy wrath Let the cleare skie of thy fauour appeare vnto this darkened spirit that in a holie boldnesse hee may come vnto the Throne of thy grace Thou hast said Lord Anger is not with mee Thy word plainelie affirmeth that there is but a moment in thy wrath In wrath thy custome is to remember mercie Forget not so good a custome O remember here a sinner vexed with thy wrath Breake not this bruised reede neither quench this smoking flaxe but kindle vp the lurking sparkle Make thy strength perfect in his weakenesse make thy Mandrakes to giue a smell that his Soule may bee refreshed with the sauour of life vnto life Take from him all hardnesse of heart Suffer not his Conscience to bee seared with sinne neither too sensible of sinne lest that hee losse his patience Giue him a soft and a yeelding heart for to admitte the comforts of thy Spirit O take out of his breast the hard marble and flintie heart of Nature and put in the place thereof a fleshie and melting heart with a tender feeling Spirit Open his eyes with thine eye-salue that hee may see thy mercie thorow the crosse-barred gates of so fearefull temptations As the weight of thy wrath hath made his Conscience to bleede so let the might of thy mercie like Balme cu◅e couer the wounds of thy wrath O GOD of pittie pittie this poore Soule weeping in secrete at thy feete Pittie this Spirite which is filled with heauinesse Sore sorrow O LORD is entered through all the powers of his Soule euen to the diuiding of the joynts and the marrow of his bones Put these wordes of comfort in his minde and mouth that thou retainest not thine anger for euer because thou delightest in mercie O sanctifie the force of all his paineful temptations that they may worke to his well let him know that thou hast an hand in all his troubles Let him say Let the righteous smite mee and it shall bee a benefite Yea though thou should slay mee yet will I trust in thee Good GOD giue him not ouer to the raging euill of his owne corruptions Suffer not his Spirit to bee ouerwhelmed with the burden of temptations but with the temptation giue him an out-gate Make the Spiknard of thy mercie send out a sweete smell whereby his fainting heart may bee comforted Giue him victorie ouer all the enemies of his saluation As Ioshuah made his men of warre to set their feete vpon the neckes of their enemies and tread them vnder foote euen so LORD make this thy weake seruant to sette his feete vpon the neckes of these sinnes which like Kings haue swe◅ed their sinfull Scepter
in his heart Thou vvho made a Cake of Barley bread to tumble vpon the tents of Midian ouer turne them thou can easilie worke great vvorkes by weak meanes It is thy custome to make thy strength perfect in weakenesse Let this poore sicke Patient heere haue the proofe of the practise of thy custome Let his Soule like a Doue enter in at the cliftes of the Rock let it creepe in by the wounds of Christ vnto his blessed bowels there to bee warmed with Gods most feruent loue Whether shall hee goe LORD to whom shall hee make his mone but to thee Whom hath he in heauen but thee O LORD now the day is farre spent and the wearisome night approacheth Before wee goe let vs obtaine our sute that thou would make thy vvrath to relent a little Let not our prayers bee powred out in vaine wee will not admit a refusall therefore set vs not off till another time abandon not this troubled Soule Thou who hast said vnto man Say not vnto thy neighbour Goe and come againe and to morrow I will giue thee if thou now haue it O LORD practise thine owne precept wee are heere come not for to buy but to begge thy mercie for thy distressed Seruant Thou cannot denye but thou hast mercie for this is euer true Mercie is with thee Seeing then LORD now thou hast it wee vrge thee with thine owne directions say not Goe and come againe to morrow I will giue thee By such a delay thou should but enhance his griefe Alas LORD what rest shall his wearied Soule get all this night if thou delay and drift him vntill morrow O come come and powre into his heart the comfortable bowels of thy compassions Powre into his Soule the powers of thy Spirit wherby hee may bee reuiued and goe softlie the rest of his time in the bitternesse of his Soule Refresh his parched Conscience with the dew of thy grace Deare Father for Christs sake let not hardnesse of heart creepe any more vpon him Receiue him softlie into thine Armes this night and cause his spirit to rest into thy bosome Whether hee sleepe or hee wake make all his thoughts to run vpon thee In the darknesse of the night make thy loue like light to breake in vpon his Conscience as the shining light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day Seeing Satan the lord of the night the prince of darknesse is most combersome in the night we intreat thee that thou would shield and preserue him by thy mercifull and powerfull protection Make his Soule to stand vpon a continuall watch that it may bee readie with a well furnished Lampe for the comming of his Lord Make the day of thy mercie to breake and all the shadowes of temptations to flee away O Father heare helpe for the sake of the dearest blood of thy Sonne the alone purger of the Soule and the chiefe softner of hardened heartes bee thou a Sanctuarie vnto this troubled Soule Create vpon him a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night joyne the direction of thy fire with the protection of thy cloud O giue now thy blessing vnto this halting man Souple and loosen his stiffe and stupefied joyntes that beeing drawne by thee hee may runne after thee Fence and garde his soule by thy grace till thou bring him vnto glorie O Iesus pray thou for him whom Sathan hath sought to winnow let him bee found as good corne vpon thy barne floore vnto the praise of thy heauenly glory of thy diuine grace Blesse thy beloued Church vniuersall purge her from all Shifmes diuisions which breed great thoughts of heart Decke and decore her with puritie vnitie the two most precious spirituall jewels of thy Spouse make her fertile like a broodie Vine Direct our gracious Soueraigne in all his ways Guide him by thy Counsell and afterward bring him vnto glorie Blesse his Royal Match the Queenes Majestie make her a Nuâ—…se mother in Israel a blessed Mother of blessed Children Blesse all the Estates of thiâ—… Land blesse thy Ministerie adornâ—… their breastes with thy Vrin and thy Thummim thy light of doctrine and perfection of life Blesse vs all who are heere humbled before thy face this night while our bodies shall goe to bed for to rest grant that our Soules may goe rest in the armes of thee our most louing GOD and Father To thee with thy Sonne and the Spirit of Grace wee giue all praise and glorie for euer Amen Cause read vnto you this night whâ—… ye awak Psal. 6 Ps. 49. Ps. 102 ps 130 The grace of God and the peace oâ—… his Spirit bee with you The sicke Man The Lord direct you Sir in all your wayes I looke ye shall returne the morrow earelie Thinke vpon that where we left at last I look that yee shall cleare that matter more aâ—… large at our next meeting My God bee with you THE THIRD DAYES Conference Of spirituall temptations The Pastour THE Lord blesse you Sir according to yourâ—…d sire I am come againe to visite you in your bedde of languishing The sicke Man I was looking for you for since yee left mee yesternight I may say with Iacob Sleepe departed from mine eyes My conscience all this night hath beene like a boiling pot O but weake man is borne to manie sorrowes his dayes are few and euill The best of them is builabour and sorrow But let vs now begin where wee left The Pastour Our last conference as yee may remember was concerning Christ in whose wings I said was health for healing of your woundes I declared vnto you that he is so tenderlie touched with the feeling of our sores that hee hath declared that these that touch vs touch the apple of his eye Hath this beene the matter of your nights meditation The sicke man That which ye haue said of Christ Sir is true There is indeed health in his wings and helpe in his hands But alas Christ will not bee helpefull but to these that are of a strong Faith My Faith is both faint and fectlesse nothing but a smoke of Faith The Pastour Christ hath said plainlie that hee will not quench the smoking flaxe S. Peter was not a man of strong Faith when in his voyage to Christ vpon the sea hee beganne to sinke Said not Christ vnto him Thou man of little Faith why hast thou doubted The Lord reproued him for the weakenesse of his Faith but neuer coost him off for the littlenesse thereof The sicke Man That was another matter Christ was with his Apostle There was vertue into that hand wherewith he gripped the sinking man as was vertue in his garment while the hemme thereof was but touched Such a weake Faith as mine cannot reach vp so farre as to touch him into the Heauens The Pastour Though your faith bee weake that Christ also be bodily
nothing but ignorantlie The sicke Man Knew yee euer in Scripture or out of Scripture any that fell into that sinne The Pastour In the Old Testament Saul fell into it and therefore the Lord discharged Samuel to mourne for him * In the New Testament Iudas was guiltie thereof and therefore Christ would not pray for him While hee prayed his holie Father to keepe through his owne Name the other Apostles he would not speak a word for the lost son of perdition In that hee practised his precept There is a sinne vnto death I doe not say that hee shall pray for it The sicke Man Is this sinne so great that Gods mercie cannot bee able to ouercome it The Pastour Some thinke that it is called irremissible because that it is forgiuen with exceeding great difficultie But certainelie there is no remission for it The cause is this God will not bee mocked with men neither will he suffer his Iustice to perish for the saluation of anie for seeing hee that despised Moses Law died without mercie vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sore punishment suppose yee shall hee bee thought worthie who hath troden vnder foote the Sonne of God and hath counted the Blood of the Couenant wherewith he was sanctified an vnholie thing and hath done despite vnto the spirit of grace The sicke Man I desire to know how men fall into such a desperati niquitie The Pastour Such men hauing receiued some generall graces of God in a reasonable great measure first vnconscionablie beginne to neglect them suffering these sparkles of goodnesse to die out after that they haue shaken out of their mouth the Bridle of restraining grace while it is cast loose lying vpon their maine they plod on from one sinne to another till shame bee past the shedde of their haire so that they bee passed all feeling The Spirit being often grieued and the heart made hard with a custome of sinne whereby as with a canker the noble buds of the Spirite are fretted and blasted at last the Lord in his justice rolleth vp the sinner wrappeth him into a reprobate sense Thus men by neglecting the inward secret checkes of the Spirit and by harbouring priuie inward r◅pinings boiling lustes murmurings grudgings and vnthankfulnesse the craftie empoysoners of grace as at last come to this point that all the good things they seemed to haue are most licentiouslie dissolued into a publ◅ck prophanitie whereby they vpbraid the Spirit of grace to his face and that with base and scarrell jests yea and often with most filthie belghes of blasphemie That once done all their grace clearelie melteth away like snailes lik the fat of Lambes or lik the winter yce which once beeing thawed floweth away and is seene no more All such thinges bee fore-runners posting before the prince of sinnes euen the sinne against the holie Ghost which is among all sinnes like Beclzebub among the deuils Obserue againe I pray you how the vnquencheable fire of this vnpardonable sin is kindled While man suffereth diuers sins to lye dispersed in his heart at their naturall libertie without controlement Sathan most craftilie by some cunning slight as by an hollow burning glasse so concentrats and vnites them together like fierie beames that they set on fire the whole bodie of mans corruption whereby as by a pouder plot the Soule is blowne vp in blaspheming euen vp vnto the very bosome of the prince of the aire Well is the man who from his youth is sensible of all appearance of euill Let vs then take heede and consider how this sinne againe the Spirit of grace creepeth in sensiblie vpon the heart of man ordinarly this sinne followeth a long custome in sinning as the head vncurable Scirrhus in the leuer affected with the dropsie cummeth after many surfites Thus according to that olde saying though a created testimonie Sero medecina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras O happie they who curbe their corruption in time before they get edge and vigour The sicke Man While a man is in this life may it not bee knowne if hee bee guiltie of this sinne The Pastour Verie hardlie for as Agrippa was almost perswaded to bee a Christian and yet neuer came from almost vnto altogether so will a man almost fall into this sinne and yet bee rescued as a man will bee for a space in the hight of a feuer that ye will neither know whether he be dead or quick Many haue bene reuiued at the putting on of their winding-sheete Euen so it will be in the sicknesse drawing vnto this sinne which is a sin vnto death Some will seeme to bee dead in it as a man into an Apoplexie yet it will be sene that they will arise and repent Of this assertion I take Manasses for a warrand for after that hee had knowne the trueth had persecuted the known Trueth making the streetes of Ierusalem to runne blood yet saith the Scripture while hee was taken among the thornes and bound with fetters and carried to Babylon In his affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatlie before the God of his fathers A mans flesh whether on his cheeke or hand cutted to atacke being taken in time while the flesh and blood are yet warme will againe sticke to and receiue the life almost lost If such be the force of Nature how much more powerfull are the workings of grace except thē that a man after knowledge be as Paul was in his ignorance exceedinglie mad in the persecuting Trueth I darre not define his sinne to bee past remeede The sicke Man Indeed Sir these be verie cleare similitudes which illustrat our purpose wonderfullie But seeing as yee thinke no man can certainelie know the particular man that is now guiltie of this sin how is it that we are forbidden to pray for such a man If any man saith S. Iohn see his brother sin a sin which is not vnto death hee shall pray for him but there is a sin vnto death I doe not say that he pray for it so soone as such a mā dyeth without remeed he must in all post haste gallop from the land of the liuing vnto the abhorred region of euerlasting death To what end serueth this inhabitation if no man can know assuredlie who is guiltie of this sinne The Pastour The opinion of the most learned is that in the time of S. Iohn the gift of discretion was giuen vnto the Church whereby both sooner and surer they might discouer the damnable sin As for vs wee can hardlie well perceiue it but by finall impenitencie and most fearefull dispaire whereby such miserable Apostats who haue reuolted from the Trueth declare at last with Iulian that the God of Galilee hath fullie and fearefully ouercome them Till that appeare let vs beware to judge rashlie seeing Peter speaking
to Simon Magus seemeth to set before him a certaine possibilitie to be saued a perhaps that the thought of his heart might bee forgiuen him The sicke Man Now it appeareth by all your discourse that the sinne against the holie Ghost is a reuolting from the Trueth with a most wilfull persecuting I thanke God my Soule is free of that But tell mee I pray you may not a man bee free of that most hainous sinne and yet be damned It would appeare that many Reprobates are free of that sinne The Pastour It is most certaine for it is onely the sinne of these who haue knowne the Trueth of Gods word and hath made a fearefull reuolt from it with a persecuting hatred against the same Many who haue liued in a true profession haue denyed God in their life There bee but too manie whose hollow heartes are couered with outwardnesse like a potte-shard ouer laid with siluer drosse The sicke Man Alas that putteth my Soule in terrible feare for this is my conscience in a qualme I haue professed with great shew and that without substance I haue beene one of Satans reuellers hauing a smilling countenance but a bleeding Conscience Gods judgementes haue stayed till my sinnes was rype When the fire is kindled woe to the stubble There is no place now for to escape In Heauen in Earth and in the Sea Gods hand will finde mee out Fye now on all my greatest pleasures the Darlings of account Though I haue not sinned that sinne against the holie Ghost which God cannot forgiue I am guiltie of sinnes which God will neuer forgiue O these eyes of fire ten thousand times brighter than the Sunne what sinne is able to escape them what glistring golden shewes of outwardnesse shall mak you to dazle ye euerlasting eyes The Pastour Man had great neede to bee ware that his tongue walke not without a bit There is no sinne but God can forgiue it if the sinner could repent the Sea of his mercie is bottomles As for that that God will or will not it is too great presumption for mā to define Yee continuallie flit from one temptation to another whereon yee feede like a Flee happing from scab to scab Yee often seeme desirous to shift the comforts of the Spirit for to goe seeke a knot in a rush a difficultie where none is Bee earnest in prayer sigh to God for the assistance of his Spirit that yee may bee capable of comfortes which the Tempter most enuyeth vnto you When the sillie Soule would fainest heare the words of spirituall peace then cryeth he red-warre stirring vp temptations like the fowles that cumbered Abraham when hee should offer sacrifice Take heede to your selfe Sir The Serpent now is more craftie than when hee pointed Adam to another tree for to depriue him of the Tree of life Resigne vp your selfe in all holie obedience to the wil of your God I can neuer perswade you to tak heede to that which I say Betweene a good tongue and a bored holy eare is an happie harmonie such musicke is melodious but a deafe eare maketh a dumbe tongue Beware of the Spirit of giddinesse which maketh the Soule to runne round as it were in a Circle of needlesse doubts The sicke Man I intreat you Sir for patience for I am one of a sorrowfull spirit as Hannah said to Eli a fierie wrath lurketh in my breast which maketh mine heart to grone Pittie mee Sir I pray you for now I am come to the arraignment and am called to the barre like a Crane or a Swallow so doe I chatter The voyce of the Preacher did often glide by my faults But now Gods Spirit speaketh home and setteth all my sinnes in order before mee Now must I end my yeares in the bitternes of my Soule Well may I say with that godlie Matron Call mee not Nahomi that is pleasant But call mee Marah that is bitter for the Almightie hath dealt verie bitter lie with mee The Pastour That which is most bitter is often most holesome Gods course with the godlie is from the bitter to the Sweete When Israel in their progresse had remoued from Mara they came to Elim from a place of bitternesse they came to refreshing fountaines of waters and to pleasant palme trees All this worlde is but a Mara a place of bitternesse Let vs haue patience but for a space till wee ariue in Elim vp into the Heauens where wee shall dwell among most pleasant palmes and drinke of the holesome springes of the well of Life euen pleasures for euermore The Amen the faithfull and true witnes hath promised The sicke Man My troubles are farre from such pleasures I feare that such troubles bee but the fore-runners of a greater tempest This maketh all the bowels of my bellie to wamble The Pastour Nay by the contrarie take them as I haue alreadie said to bee messengers posting before the calme It is good as yee knowe to see euerie season like it selfe The Christian life in this world must bee like the Winter season subject to frosts and to snowes for killing of weedes and of wormes If the earth and mens bodies bee not nipped with cold great are the euil which ensue The earth becommeth barren and mans bodie become sickelie and subject to many diseases It is euen so with the Soule if it remaine not heere in a wintrous estate laide open to the tempests nipping colds of temptations profitable for to mellowe and to rot the fellow ground of the heart there is no great appearance of anie good spirituall haruest But if the winter tempests of afflictions come whereby the weeds and wormes of the conscience are killed then may we looke for a pleantifull haruest of the quiet fruite of righteousnesse God in mercie shall step with his mercifull feete thorow the fieldes of our heart and his steps shall drop fainesse Let such hopes comfort you in this wearisome winter of your afflictions All Gods gloumes are but like winter cloudes or like the louring of the Skye faire weather will bee nixt let such tempests fall but in there owne season Happie is hee whose heart with such boistrous blastes is not swaide awry The Sicke Man O what a longsome winter is this wherein I can not once see the Sun of righteousnesse neither feele the heat of his beames the comforter that should relieue my Soule is farre from mee The Pastour Let not that discourage you Sir heare what Christ himselfe the bottomelesse fountaine of all comforts saith I goe away for a while and yee shall bee sorrowfull but I will come againe and your joye shall none bee able to take away If yee finde Christ to bee absent comfort your selfe with the hope of his returne His absence is but for a little While the day is at
the Apostle wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Many will suffer legs and armes to bee cut from them into a feaster for to saue the rest What reck what the body suffer if so be the Soule bee saued what euer affliction ye suffer in bodie or mind it is for the saluatiō of your sillie Soule by such pangues your God will preuent the paines of hell In your greatest griefes God is but practising his owne precept of sauing Soules by feare vvhereby they are pulled out of the fire The Sorrowes of the godlie end in joye But as for the wicked they are like the Sea whiles tossed whiles tumbled but euer inwardlie disquieted The sicke Man Is this then the estate of the godlie heere to be betimes crossed with most fearefull temptations whereby as vvith an Ocean sea they will seeme to bee ouer-vvhelmed The Pastour It is certaine for many are the troubles of the righteous Christ deerest here are lik Lillies among the thornes This life are the Winter of their affliction They are a groning genaration Turtles crouding with sighes and grones vvhich their tongues cannot expresse vvhile Abraham began to sleepe loe an horrour of great darknesse fell vpon him The sicke Man But in such anguish of heart will they not haue some bosome comforts salt Sea vvater strained thorow the earth becōmeth sweete At the greatest sense of vvrath will they not aye haue some hope of mercy though for a space they haue swimmed downe the current of the times shifting their sailes to the turning of euerie wind The Pastour They will bee in great distresse Their Soule vvill be shaken like a sea full of surges tossed with contrarie Tydes As for their comfort it vvill be lik the smoke of flaxe without a flamme In their deepest temptations they vvill haue some bosome secret graces into the heart as cmbers vnder an heape of ashes Some times in all outward appearance they vvill bee so douked that they vvill seeme to be drowned While they are all vnder the vvater vvith Ionah as it vvere at the rootes of the mountaines they vvill thinke and so also vvill others thinke that they are in the bellie of hell This is their estate vvhile for a space they are borne downe vvith the vveight of vvrath and vvith the burden of their sinnes they are as it vvere many fathome deepe vnder the vvater But so soone as it pleaseth God for to remoue that weight incontinent they come vp to the brimme of the vvater because there is breath and life vvithin them So long as there is life in a man hee may vvell at the first plunge goe downe to the bottome of a Poole but incontinent hee mounteth vp againe because there is a Spirit and breath vvithin him But if hee bee once deade hee sinketh downe like Leade vnto the ground It is euen so vvith the vvicked and the godlie the wicked are dead in the vvaters of affliction and therefore vvith Pharaoh and his armie they sinke downe like Lead into the mightie waters But as for the godlie though heauie vveights of sin for a space hang fast on yet because the Spirit of God a Spirit of life and of breath is vvithin them they may vvell at one plunge or other douke downe because of the vveight of their corruptions but incontinent they come vp againe By vertue of the Spirit as by Corke they are caried aboue so at last swimme thorow all the waues of their troubles and temptations till they come to the shallow where they may set their feete vpon a Rocke euen the Rocke Christ. When Ionah was cast into the Sea who euer thought that hee should come out againe yet heare how the drouked man sang at last Yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruption my Lord my God So litle was his hope once that hee said beeing in the bellie of hell The earth with her barres was about me for euer What hope of change can wee haue of that which we call For euer * See what little hope that Prophet had for a certaine space before that God would bring his life from corruption What out-gate could the poore man see into such a darke dungeon into the bellie of the Fish downe at the rootes of the mountaines into the bottome of the deepe That which the sillie man could not see God saw Hee whom the Shippe could not saue was saued in the bellie of hell He who could saue Ionah in the water could saue his seruant Sadrach and his fellowes in she fire While these three poore men were bound in their coats their hosen and their hattes and cast into that fearfull Furnace there came in One that afraide them all a fourth man euen the Sonne of God which by an absolute soueraignetie loosed the other three so that they all foure in the Kings sight walked vp down together without any hurt All the miracles of the olde Testament were but types and figures of Gods mercie and spirituall blessings vnder the New The passage of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was a type of our walking in this world vnto that Canaan that is aboue The Egyptians behind the Sea before the Mauniaines on euerie side were but types of our spirituall enemies Some like Egyptians behind are chaissing vs some like Mountaines on euerie side hedge vs in to keepe vs from escape Some before like a Sea are before vs betweene vs and Canaan Christ is a cloudy Pillar which in the day time is darknesse commeth betweene vs and the rage of the Egyptians of this world so that for mist they cannot see vs In the darke night of our tribulations hee goeth before vs in a pillar of fire for to be a light vnto our steps At last after we haue passed by many mountaines of miseries and are come to the red sea of temptations euen to the last temptations on our death bed where all our sins red like scarlet stand like a red sea betweene vs and the place of promise God by the rod of his mercifull power giueth that sea such a blow that all its billowes make roome to let his people passe thorow Then all mourning is turned into musicke Moses singeth with the men Mi◅ian with the women Nothing is heard there but songs sounding Timbrels Manie a ◅ore sigh had they before they came to this Song Many a pittifull looke gaue they backe to Pharaoh breathing out rage behind them they q◅aked lik an Haire that heareth the barke of the Dog breathing to bee at it But while at last they saw thēselues bounded with an enemy that boasted them with drowning then God in their greatest feares sent a powerfull deliuerance Behold here as in a Cart the draughts of the Christian
that God can loue you who is so vnworthie to bee loued I thinke it verilie and I am perswaded God I confesse cannot loue sinne in man but hee may loue man in sinne God inuiteth not these whom hee loueth not Come vnto mee saith hee all yee that are wearied Your wearinesse cryeth vnto you that which was said to the blind man Bee of good comfort arise the Master calleth thee an humble confession in the mouth is the speach of contrition in the heart God hath sworne that hee liketh not a sinners death Hee is more glad to finde vs for to helpe vs than we can rejoyce to find him for to be helped by him Who can thinke but hee is glad to finde vs that tooke such paines to seeke vs that not caring for the vnwholesome and noysome night aire came to our doore hauing his head full of dewe and his lockes full of the droppes of the night which is more such was his loue and liking of vs that for to saue our life hee would die a cursed death The last wordes of your complaint are that yee are one who is vnworthie to bee loued * I had rather heare a sinner calling himselfe wretched and vnworthie with the Publican than boasting of his worthinesse with the Pharisee The swelled hydropie words of thankesgiuing that we are not lik other mē are a sure toking of a deadlie incurable disease Man naturallie goeth about to lessen impaire his faultes yea oftē rather than he will cry guiltie hee will fasten his follie by consequent vpon his Maker Adam said The woman which thou gauest me gaue me of the tree made me to eate Many are caried down the muddie streame of ouerweening their owne worth Our greatest worthinesse is in the sense of our own vnworthinesse and in the seeking of Christs worthinesse That man is worthie before God who findeth himselfe vnable to doe that which is worthie and vnwilling to doe that which is vnworthie The verie strife and battell betweene grace and nature in theregenerat is a victorie in Gods eyes A broken imperfectiō if it be sincere without guile is put vp in his merciful count book for a perfectiō indeed such is the mercie of God while we mislike our selues These were the wisest words of Agur in Gods account when hee said I am more fool◅sh than any man S. Paul was neuer more dearelie beloued of God as when hee hating himselfe called himselfe the first of sinners Cast your eyes off your selfe and looke vnto God your strength your stay The Name of the Lord is a strong towre the righteous runneth into it is safe The sicke Man O that I could practise your precepts O that my God would inspire mee with such a blessed and liuelie vigour of his Spirite that might quicken my Soule to euerlasting life O that it would please my God stronglie to refresh mee with the comfort of his countenance But alas out of this most filthy puddle of my heart arise such filthie vapours which so ouer-cloud the Sunne of righteousnesse that I am not able to behold his face while he did shine vpon mee his most bright and vnspotted beames were fullie darkened The more the heate of his word did beate vpon mee the more my conuersation became stinking and loathsome like a carion cast out before the Sunne this I cannot denie at the rememberance thereof I finde my selfe charged afresh vpon the Conscience with terrours and vexations O the dead slubber of securitie wherein I haue sleept vnto this houre my custome euer was to post ouer my sinnes in the lump with a generall slumbert confession There is nothing within me but matter of feare I feele my faith fainting I feare my sinnes I feare the wrath of God I feare the force of Sathan the king of feare I may be well bee called that which Ieremie called Pashur viz. Magor-missabib that is Feare round about yea I not onelie feare but I feele a fearefull wrath My stubburnesse and stonie heart hath brought vpon my Soule Gods brasen hands Now is hee doing to mee that which of olde hee threatned against these that were like mee If yee walke stubbornlie against mee I will walke stubbornlie with you In my youth I was guided by the guise of times my delight was to goe with the droue now I am lost beeing cold dead frozen in the dregges of my vncleannesse The Pastour The force of temptation wringeth such words out of you as thogh yee had none hope at all Your Soule Sir is like the Moone into an ecclipse There bee darknesse and changing of collours for a time because your sinnes like an earth come betweene you and the beames of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse I haue seene the Moone in her ecclipse for a space as though shee had not beene at all into the heauens but as shee darkened by little and little so after the greatest darknesse was past the light returned by degrees Despaire not Sir of an infinite mercie let not your heart be wasted with wearinesse Though the earth of your sinnes which in comparison of Gods mercie is but a point ouershadow the Soule for a space while it is in this low region the time shall come that God shall mount your Soule aboue the circle of the Starres wherevnto the shadow of such an earth is not able to attaine Thogh God for a space walke stubbornlie with you hee is not stubborn Whē yee shall beginne to walke humblie with your God God shall walke no more stubbornlie with you but shall deliuer you from all your feares Build your selfe vpon your holie Faith The sicke Man I may well say with Iob My stroke is heauier than my groning Whereon can my Faith lay hold God is armed with wrath and Sathan is armed with despight I see nothing for the present but blowes and bloody battels most dreadfull feares teare in pieces mine heart strings sucke out the inmost of mine heart blood The Pastour Though there be many aduersaries yet Christ is with you Make all your boast of him who is the Captaine of your Saluation Hee hath winne the field he hath tread vnder foote principalities and powers and hath ledde Captiuitie captiue Hee whose Faith is founded vpon him shall neuer bee confounded His fresh bleeding wounds are cuer filled with compassions * Though God by our sinnes bee moued to shew some wrath heere is our great comfort There is no condemnation to these that are in Christ Belieue yee not the Scriptures I know yee belieue If Christ bee with vs who shall bee against vs These who thinke that their sinnes ouer-reach Gods mercie make the Centre to compasse about the Circumference Though hee should receiue a world of sinners in the bosome of his mercie it will not for that
saued by the Light of Gods word dispell this mist of ignorance Make mee free of this shrewd temptation The Pastour That of Peter in the New-Testament is remarkable Christ himselfe called him A man of little Faith and yet who doubteth of his Saluation The other example in the Old-Testament was in type and figure when the Israelites were biten with the fierie Serpents their onelie remeed was to looke vp to the brasen Serpent All this was a type and figure of a Soule wounded with sinne looking vp vnto Christ with the eye of Faith Now it is certaine that some in Israel were bleared and some of a weaker sight than others but the weaknesse of their sight could not hinder the cure nay the olde man with his dimmed eyes beholding as thorow a mist that type of Christ was as soone and soundlie cured as hee whose eyes were in their greatest vigour The meate taken with a paralitick trembling hand will not refuse nourishment to the bodie no more than if it were taken with a strong and stable arme Faith is the eye of the Soule whereof the Israelites eyes were but a figure Christ is the trueth of the brasen Serpent Though this eye bee dimmer into some yet if it see that sight is Saluation Faith is the hand of the Soule Christ is the foode Though this Faith tremble Christ trembleth not the palsie is not in the foode Bee of good courage Sir feare not this trembling feare the work of Saluation cannot bee wrought but with feare and trembling Though ye feare yet despaire not there is meâ—…cie with God in a vnspeakable measure In one Psalme it is said againe and againe vnto sixe and twentie times that his mercie endureth for euer This mercie I confesse is whiles concealed from the godlie for ends best knowne vnto their heauenly Father Who is he that often shall not spie at diuerse times his minde to bee dulled or ouer-cast with some cloud of Milancholie While this humour domineeres Sathan maketh choise of it for therein to set a seate for grimme and grieuous temptations While he perceiueth the bodie to bee troubled and distempered hee quicklie afresh representeth vnto the veiw of our Soule the greatest most greiuous sins of our vnregeneration and that into their fullest and foulest shape By this meanes deepe gashes and wide gappes are made in mens Conscience Bee strong in God Sir saue his honour by putting your trust in him Shall Gods word cry to man sixe and twentie times that hee is a mercifull God shall man doubt of such a mercie If such mercies were but for some dayes â—…nners might thinke that in some dismall dayes of the yeare mercy by no meanes could bee found But behold the musicall twne of Gods mercie is vpon an euerlasting Note for his mercie endureth for euer Hee who doubteth of Gods fauour after so manie testimonies may prouoke the Lord against himselfe Moses by his doubting at Meribah made the Lords wrath to waxe hote against him While hee should haue spoken to the Rocke he scourged the Rocke more with these wordes of doubt shal we cause water come foorth than he did with the Rod That Rock was Christ Moses while by doubting hee scourged the Rocke hee scourged Christ for that Rocke was Christ Who would euer haue thought that Moses with his Law Rod would haue scourged Christ the substance both of Law and Gospel Who euer hee bee that doubteth thinking that God either cannot nor will not bee mercifull vnto him so farre as in him is hee scourgeth the Lord Iesus as these who by their euill life are said to crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh and to put him to an open shame Beleeue be saued God is both mild and mercifull Is not his Command directeth vnto man that hee shew mercie with chearefulnesse Is he not called the Father of mercies Is it not written that hee is a God rich in mercie O these bleeding bowels of compassions What said hee at last while hee saw the great affliction of Ephraim How said hee shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer the Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim After these foure How how how how Mercie in a manner did turne about hâ—…s heart with such a force that hee cryed out Mine heart is turned within mee my repentinges are kindled together If mercie be not in his diuine breast where shall it be found The sicke Man All that yee haue said Sir concerning the mercy of God in Christ belongeth on lie to repenting sinners who haue bewailed the errours of their life but not to such a varnished hypocrit as I am who haue remained fast rooted in the rottenesse of must filthie corruptions which I had neuer care to curbe or controle My secret sinnes like a consuming canker haue freted out the verie heart of Grace From my Youth I haue wandered from the way of happinesse and haue beene like an idle Begger in the way readie to goe which way so euer the staffe fell My greatest feare now is that I haue too long delayed the day of my repentance what know I if God will forgiue a man so grieuous sinnes not repented of till hee come to his death-bed Hardlie can I think that in so short a time a man can bind vp friendshippe with his God with whom hee hath beene at feede his whole life time O mercifull God melt my marble heart Put into my breast the precious pearle of Faith O that with vnspeakable groanes of griefe for my By past euill spent life I might redeeme the time which I haue so lauishlie mispent Oh that the moisture of my body were all melted into teares if therby I culd be perswaded that my sillie Soule were alreadie vtterly out of the reach of all the powers of Hell I haue too long most vainelie sported my selfe in Mesech and ruffled in the tents of Kedar If I had not so long delayed to returne to my God my Soule alreadie in hope should be feasting vpon the joyes of eternitie The Pastour Indeede Sir it is a verie dangerous thing for to delay repentance to the last gaspe or to one Gods mercie as many doe who neuer lay downe the weapons of rebellion till they can sinne no more Oh that men would vnderstand their danger Are not our enemies both strong and neare Hannibal ad portas the Deuill is at the doore But such is the madnesse of many were their Soules neuer so soiled with sinne that if once they can get out but these few wordes God bee mercifull to mee they thinke that they shall be in heauen before their feete bee colde Such men thinke that in death it is easie to consure the Deuill with a word It is but folie to put Saluation vpon such hap-hazard as
wicked will refraine from outward scandals yea they may preach yea prophecie with Saul Cajaphas and Iudas so that they will bee wondered at like Soul among the Prophets or lik Simō magus to whom the world for a space gaue heede from the least to the greatest saying This man is the great power of God Manie hauing but this superficiall glistering of grace applaud and content themselues thinking that they are wise while they indeede are fooles By this Spirit also they will taste the good gift of God but an one they spite it out againe * Meate tasted in the mouth onelie and not let downe to bee digested in the stomacke is vnprofitable for nourishment By this same Spirit also they will bee inlightened so that they will loue the deare Sainctes of God and will reuerence them as King Herod did Iohn But heere is their stay they haue euer an Herodias which they will not forsake Some one reigning sinne or other like pestilent canker cleaueth fast vnto them and beareth rule into their mortall bodies Either one sinne or other secret or publicke must be their Darling And this againe like a mother sinne must haue a dancing daughter called Hatered of reproue whose chiefest sute is that the preacher were he an Iohn either want the head or else bee silenced This is the verie border of the wicked mās progresse with all his might and maine in the way to glorie Further I cannot see that hee can winne but onelie to a taste in the mouth of the goodnesse of Gods giftes and to a certaine or rather incertaine liking of that which is good which at last shall losse the head with the Baptiste before hee losse his pleasures with Herod Thus as ye see manie are deceiued with the false flashes of an euil grounded assurance that they are in the readie and right way to Heauen when as indeede they are but faggots prepared for euer lasting burnings The sicke Man There bee one passage in Scripture which hath often affrighted my Soule in it I see a Reprobate to ma◅ such a progresse in the way to Hearen that hardlie can I thinke that euer I did match him The Apostle saith 1. That hee will bee inlightened 2. That hee will taste of the heauēlie gift 3. That he will be made partaker of the holie Ghost 4. That hee will taste the good word of GOD. 5. That he will taste the powers of the world to come And yet for all that hee shall fall away so that hee can not bee renewed by Repentance and so shall die a Reprobate and last after death shall bee caried with the wicked into the same streame till he fall downe into the gulfe and poole of perdition I intreat you Sir to giue mee some light for the clearing of these wordes for often haue they troubled my Soule and dryuine it deepe into the dumps * At the first view of these wordes it would seeme that a man may get seisin of Heauen and yet thereafter bee diss◅ised by some sinnes and iniquities and depriued of all hope of eternitie The Pastour The Lord inlighten my mislie minde that I may cleare these your doubts to your well and contentment I confesse that at the first sight of these words I my selfe was amazed so that I did wonder how all that could bee Indeede at the first view as ye say it would seeme that a man may get seisin of Heauen and yet thereafter bee diss◅ised by one sinne or other whereby all his former vert◅es shall losse their grace But let a man lift vp his heart to God in prayer and thereafter consider well the words and weigh them in the Ballance of the Sanctuarie hee shall easilie perceiue that a Reprobate may bee endewed with all these giftes and after all bee debarred from entering into glorie In the words ye haue obserued fiue difficulties vnto which God willing I shall make answere seuerallie First of all it is said that the Reprobate who is but a Bellie blind will bee inlightened For to stād vnder this yee must first cōsider that into that place of Scripture the Apostle speaketh of Apostats that is of men that haue forsaken the true Religion which once they did professe for to become professors of lyes mē who haue reuolted from the Trueth after that the windowes of their Soule were shute close for to barreout the Light and that willinglie and of set purpose First then it is said That they were inlightned that is once they knew the Trueth For knowledge is light But because that hauing light they wanted loue God sent them strong delusions to belieue lyes S. Paul speaking of these that had but the light of nature the twilight of reason said That they were inlightened in such a sort that thereby they knew God But because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imaginations how grieuous was their punishment A little after both their sinne and their punishment is more plainely ser downe Euen saīth hee as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gaue them ouer in a Reprobate minde That is hee put out and quenshed that little light of Nature which once they had as hee tooke the Talent from the idle man that rolled it vp into a napkin The greater that light bee within a mā if it be abused the greater is the punishment which is for to ensue But to come to that Light wherewith a Reprobate brought vp in the Church may be inlightened The Light of knowledge within a man who hath not the loue of the Trueth is but like the light of a blazing Comet which shortlie dyeth out and filleth the world with a pestiferous stinke An Apostate on earth is lik a Comet in the heauens a star but in appearance Such men with all their apparent eminences of zeale and dazeling shewes bee but blazing starres such as the Dragon is said to sweepe downe with his taile * S. Iude calleth them wandering starres they keepe not their Station They are Planets in their motion and Comets in their substance not fixed in the heauens but kindled meteores in the aire which seeme to bee in the heauens and therefore they losse at last their light so that as S. Iude saith To them is reserued blacknesse of darknesse Such may haue the spirit of illumination for the good of others without the Spirit of Sanctification for the good of their own Soules Though they haue some light of knowledge yet in loue and life they walke by the darke side of the cloude with the Egyptians There is Loue and Light in the life of all true Israelites whose course is by the light side of the fierie Pillar The wicked for the most parte are with the Sodomites either stricken with blindnesse or if they see they
discourse hath done you good giue God the praise yet vvould I knowe vvhat all these vvordes hath vvrought in your heart The sicke Man I blesse God for that vvhich I haue heard By Gods Grace I haue catcht some hope of a better life The desires of mine heart beginne to enter the confines of eternitie I find the motions of the Spirit of Grace vvorking into my Soule the great vvorke of Saluation I am now refreshed vvith the sweete streames of spirituall comforts I finde now my Soule lifted vp toward God and I finde the loue of this vvorld falling downe like the Mantle of Elijah I think that I goe novv more sweetlie and swiftlie to my God with a more holie and heauenlie desire than euer I did heeretofore Your comfortes Sir make mee to hyefaster I take this to bee a nevv worke-man-shipe of grace I hope shortlie to be at the vp shot of all my troubles I finde vvithin mine heart some kindled joye vvhich I take to bee the pawne of pleasures for euermore The Spirite of God like a Doue hath brought vnto my Soule a comfort like an Oliue leaue assuring mee in some vveake measure that the floode of Gods vvrath is asswadged vpon my Soule What shal I say The best of Gods blessings are behind Oh that now my Sauiour vvere into the cloudes I had rather die than I should liue for to anger the Lord againe Alas that mine heart hath beene so gleued to the ground like a shell-Snaile fastened on the wall Seeing Sir God hath wrought so well by you in this great worke of my conuersion I intreat you to continue in some good purpose that my minde may still bee kept bended vpon that which is good If yee leaue off to teach mee my minde will but wander in vanitie O Lord worke all my thoughts to holie and heauenlie meditations The Pastour Blessed bee God who hath giuen you such a resolute and contented minde See what yee desire me to speake chieflie of at this time The sicke Man Seeing I am shortlie for to leaue this world and to goe to the Heauens for to take out of mine heart the least roote of regret to quite this world I pray you Sir to say something of the vanitie of this world of the last Iudgement and of the joyes of Heauen where shortlie I hope to bee Let mee heare how I shall losse nothing in the change Striue Sir I pray to kindle and blow vp the dying fire of my deuotion helpe mee to goe from strength to strength till I bee in Zion The Pastour The Lord put such wordes into my mouth which may bee able to winne your Soule vp to Heauen and to weane it from all worldlie pleasures First for to speak but a word in generall cōcerning this world What is it but a peece of earth made barren with Gods curse whose fruites without sweatie labours are but thistles and thornes As for the vanitie of the world seculum speculum This world is a glasse wherin a drumlie eye may see its vanitie Hee who was wisest in it speaking of it after that he was tyred with trying its pleasures preached that it was but vanitie of vanities a verie Idea that is the abstract of vanities which are the abstracts of things that are vaine So according to Solomons Text all that wee account most substantiall is but an abstract of an abstract as if a man shuld dreame that he dreamed which should bee the dreame of a dreame This is like that vanitie which Habak kuke calleth verie vanitie wherein are some few flashes of deceiueable comforts Thus as yee see the life of man in this world is nothing but a fardle of vanities shadowes and dreames a bundle of displeasing pleasures vaine in inside and outside too Our greatest pleasures here are but a mixture of miserie They are soone marred like a mistuned song The flees in the plague of flees were not so thicke in Egypt as vanities are in this world for which the most parte of the world exchange the happinesse of their Soules These who are most glorious in worldly pompe are constrained to say at last with that King in Homer * The great God hath imprisoned mee with cares O happie they who are free of such dangers are secured in cottages of clay After that man hath beene vpon the top of his pompe and is come to the vertical point of his pleasures after which hee hath hunted with great eagernesse of heart Hee must come downe and bee curbed with paines of diuerse diseases distressed till hee bee turned in to dust All his pleasures profites and prefermentes shall slide away like a shadow They shall passe like a Poast passing by like water lift vp with a sife or sand with open fingers As the shippe passeth ouer the waues its trace not beeing able to bee seene on the brim or as the fowle mounting to the Skye piercing the Aire so that no mortall eye can perceiue any token of her passage though the eare heare the noise of her wings so shall it bee of all earthlie things when once the inch of this life being ended our mortall Soule shall bee dislodged out of this clay all earthlie contentments then shall bee like a Bird of whose flight no token can bee found after for a space by the shaking of her wings shee hath parted the aire in a greater heminencie of going In all our greatest pleasures bee lurking sorrowes like serpentes among the grasse which maketh way to a fairing man to steppe backe or start aside Oh that wee were wise What shall I say In this transitorie life we are miserablie blind folded because wee loue not the heauens God letteth vs dote vpon the earth It is righteous with God so to doe Of all this wee must say This is the Lords doing it is marueilous in our eyes Oh that wee could consider in these last dayes of this world there is come vpon the world a plague of vanitie like a plague of flees whereof pride is Beelzebub the master flie which buzzeth in most men womens heads commanding other legions of vanities full of fretting sorrows or of false flattering pleasures wherewith the sillie Soule is fettered The whole life of man is inclosed in Mesopotamia betweene two riuers of teares First wee mourne at our Birth and last others mourne at our Burial Nascimur flentes morimur gementes The whole bounds of our life is inclosed betweene weeping and groaning At the first sight of the light we weepe and last at the closing of our eyes wee gaspe out our life with a groane What shall I say So soone as wee are borne wee are gone like a shadow when it declineth Oh that wee could consider that there is nothing heere which is not mixt with some spyce of vanitie * If wee had eyes to see wee would say What is below in
a jumppe Thus as yee see such is the treason of our Treasures They come like deceitfull dreames and passe avvay like vanishing shadowes One lie things Spirituall haue a sure and lasting roote Alas in that our heart is least wherein it should be most and most in that wherin it should bee least Fooles that vvee are vvee all earne vvages to put into a bottomelesse bag Such vvages are often giuen in keeping to most vvorthlesse men as Iudas got the bagge to keepe Oh that mens hearts vvere fixed on the lasting Treasuâ—…es of immortalitie Oh that vvee could learne in time this sound Diuinitie that all that is vnder the circle of the Moone is but flatte vanitie and vexation of the Spirit of man vvhich continuallie vvanders vp and downe at randome seeking its felicitie in that where it is not to bee found Well is the man vvhose hearts desires are bounded and confined vvithin the secret compasse of contentment 4. BEAVTIE What is Beautie but as one faith vvell a colour and a temptation The colour fadeth the temptation â—…nareth Behold her who within these fourtie yeares seemed a perfection of Beautie a rauisher of eyes behold 〈◊〉 now in her fourescore vvith her vvrinkled cheekes and her glasseâ—… eyes and her rotten teeth and her stinking breath Behold and say with a sigh Fauour is deceitfull and Beautie is vanitie But she that feareth the Lord shall bee praised There is nothing more fadding than flesh and yet man will not consider vvhile his eye is quicke his lips rudie and his colour liuelie hee cannot think of changes neither by age nor sicknesse such a foolish conceite is bredde in the heart Out of such a Beautifull sleepe hee cannot be vvakned til God vvith a shout cause preach him to bee Grasse The voyce said cry The Prophet saide What shall I cry All flesh is grasse and the goodnesse thereof as the flower of the fielde The grasse withereth the flower faddeth because the Spirit of the Lord blaweth vpon it Surelie the people is grasse By this the Lords publicke Oyas all fleshlie beautie is cryed downe as beeing but a beguiling colour and a snairing temptation Fye on men and vvomens follie care for colour is but vanitie Heere is beautie vvithout fard Let the beautie of the Lord our God bee vpon vs All other beauty is lik an Almanack whose vse is but for a yeare It is but a baite for catching of vnstable Soules 5. PLEASVRE As for all the Pleasures vve reape in earthly things I compare them to fruites eaten before they bee ripe vvhich fiâ—…st set the teeth on edge and thereafter cause diuerse and deadlie diseases There is no pleasure heere without a Page of paine at its backe Our vveedes and our flowers growe vp together the best often is borne downe by the vvorst What I pray you are all the foolish pleasures of this world but as wee ordinarlie call them passe times Hath man so long a time to liue Or is his journey from Earth to Heauen so easie or so short that hee may haue leasure for pleasures and passe times Is mans short life so wealthie of time that it must be passed into passe-times Must wee not in end come to count reckoning for our euill and well spent houres Moreouer what are the most parte of all earthlie delights The most excellent are but noble miseries the fairest are but farded lik the face of Iezebel onely an out-side or outward scroofe of pleasure What I pray you are all carnall delights but the lymetwiges of the Deuill wherewith the sillie Soules of sinners are ensnared and entangled What shall I say more All the pleasures that are below may well be compared to a smokie fire in a fâ—…ostie day whereof the smoke is more hurtfull than the fire is helpefull All the joys which are heere are but reekie pleasures purchased with teares wher with the eyes of men are made bleared In laughing the heart will bee sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse Worldlie pleasures but darkeneth the Reason deceiue the Senses Voluptates carnales sunt putida putrida both stinking and rotten Onelie the pleasures of Heauen are pure perfect and perpetuall All other thinges slide away like water 6. WISEDOME What is all the Wisedome of this World Scripture saith that it is but follie before God It may well bee compared to the Letters which Vriah carried against himselfe If it bee not sanctified it is in the bosome â—… message against the messenger Knowledge and pregnancie of Wit stored with all morall vertues without Gods feare are witnesse against the man himselfe in whom they are They will stand vp and testifie against him that hee vnderstood his Masters will and yet would not doe it Woe to that backe in hell whose heart on earth was full engrossed of worldlie witte Hee that knoweth his Masters will and doeth it not shall bee beaten with manie strips Away with that Soule whose vnderstanding is great swelled with knowledge but lamed in its practicall powers wherein is the working of the life of true Christianitie Many in this world are much counted of their naturall â—…it but wherin I pray you doe most men spend their wits and breake their braines Is it not to be great in this world In the meane time they are so spirituallie brutish that they care not what they bee oâ—… where they be in the world to come Such fooles are like Fishers that leaue mayne seas for to fish in shallow puddle As I beganne this point so I end it all naturall witte is branded with this that it is but follie before God Let your Soule disavow and disclaime it that yee may bee wise in God Gods wise man to worldlie wise is but a sillie Gods Foole. 7. CHILDREN As for Children their conception is with sicknesse ouer casting of heart Their birth is with paines like the paines of hell Their buâ—…iall is with teares after many a wearisome night Such pleasures are painefull pleasures Apples of So dome are rotten vvithin But let vs suppone that lik noble branches they liue and come to men yea to gray haires They are our Heires the end of all our painefull drudgery carefull conquests Though a man had conquered vnto them the whole vvorld hee must looke vpon his conquest with a sigh and say with the vvife Man As for him that commeth after mee who knoweth whether hee shall bee a wise man or a foole and yet he must bee master of all my labours Man may conquise Lands to his Children but Thrift and Wisedome cannot bee bought The most thriftie is often the father of the most for lorne What a vanitie is this Certainlie who vvould weigh well all the pleasures of Children with the paines past and the feares for time to come should find all the pleasures light
like wole light like Belshazzar But his paines should be foūd to be like Pharaoh his Armie that sank downe like Leads in to the might it waters Such light pleasures are soone ouerswayed with leadē paines Too great pleasure in Children is but a childish pleasure The best of it is of ten laden shortly after with a lumpish crosse vvhich hath neede of a Simon for to beare vp the end of it for the helpe of the bearer Alas the hearts of most men are too too much taken vp vvith that which may bee termed the sicknesse of Eli or fathers follie vvhich hardlie can suffer controlement or contradiction They are so in loue with their Children that though they by a leud life mak themselues vile they vvil not restraine them Their minds are so giuen to them that they are grieued to grieue them with fathers reproofes But at last out-commeth the voyce of judgement When I beginne I will also make amend 8. LONG LIFE Last of al if there be any thing that wold seeme to be desired it shuld be long lif all that a manhath he will giue it for his life Though these be the vvords of a Lyar yet most men will put their hand to the pen and subscribe the trueth thereof All that most men haue as Strength Honours Riches Beautie Pleasure* Wisedome Children and all will they giue for their Life But vvhat is this life were it neuer so long but a season wherein poore men is tyred with toyles What is it but a long martyr dome and a stormie time of teares What is this life Let S. Iames answere It is said hee but a vapour Nubicula est cito evanescit Nascimur flentes morimur gementes It beginneth with teares and endeth vvith groans What is life Let Iob answere Mylife saith hee is wind What is life Let Isaiah answere It is but a breath in our nostrile What is life Cry said the Lord to Isaiah What shall I cry said Isaiah Cry All flesh is grasse * What is life A tale that is tolde saith Moses What is it A flitting shaddow a bubble in the vvater a deceiueable dreame the working of a weeuers Sh◅ttle which by winding heere and there vnwindeth it selfe to an end Our life like the shadow on the Dyall insensiblie stealeth away See what it is of the vanitie of this life It is begunne with weeping and maintained by sweatting and at last endeth with a gaspe Mors vltima linea rerum Thus mans life like the beautifull Apple of Sodome so soone as it is toucht is turned into dust What should moue a man to desire many dayes While a man desireth many dayes hee desireth that vvhich hee desireth not viz. olde Age What is olde Age but manie dayes Are not the old mans dayes called The euill dayes and the yeares of which he saith I haue no pleasure in them What hath hee then vvill ye say if hee hath no pleasure All sorts of paines olde Age sets on foote all the sortes of diseases The Guts and the Grauels and diuerse Defluxions with many other maladies run vpon him and write a Kalender in his bones vvherin his pain full itchings like Astronomers declare to him vvhat weather it will bee to morrow Thus as ye see manslife is but an irksome occupation an houre of tediousnesse to be short a verie compend of miserie casie to bee vnderstood without any commentarie of long discourse if wee were schollers willing to learne May not men see how all that is below is sicke of the fluxe for nothing is permanent Hee onely fitteth sure who can say with Dauid Mine heart is fixed O Lord. What shall I say more of this whole world Let men thinke of it what they will this is the constant trueth of an vncreated Testimonie this present euill world It is so euill that it is said to lye in wickednesse The Lord neuer suffer out Soules to bee its Bed fellowes such a Bed is a bloody bed like that of Iezabel A nest wherein is no rest but terrour of Conscience Before I end this point concerning long life let vs roll a space this short meditation in our minds What is in this world so worthie that it should bee so eagerlie desired Continuallie while wee liuewee are in feare of Death for this cause seeke wee Physicke Mirth and Musicke and all for to b◅rre Death to the doore And yet fooles that wee are cerius out citius soone or since wee must all draw neere to the doores of Death There is no discharge in this warre Euerie man in this life hath his appointed time wherein night and day he must waite till his a◅ange come Mens dayes are distributed vnto them like houres seuemilie diuided vpon the Horologe Some must liue but till One another vnto Two another vnto Three The Palme turneth about with its finger pointeth at the houre So soone as mans appointed houre is come whether it bee the first second or third there is no more biding for him Nec prece ni◅ precio neither by pryce not prayer can Death bee moued to spare him but an houre no not As the sound of the Clocke Bell ringing his last houre passeth away with all speede and turneth not againe so must the poore man at Death with all haste packe him out of sight and no mo◅e be seene vpon the land of the liuing His houre beeing sounded hee must with all haste remoue that another might take place One of whom none can surelie say Hee shall bee a wise man or a foole Then all that the sillie man had painefullie prouided must bee giuen to him whom the father often in his life beholding said with a sigh within himselfe Beholde him for whom is all this drudgerie behold him for whom is all my toyle and turmoyle Who knoweth whether hee shall bee a wise man or afoole yet shall hee bee master of all my labours Now happie and thrise happie they whom GOD in mercie remoueth in time from seeing heart-break of follie and deboched manner of their godles posteritie Scripture accounteth this for a singulare benefite to the Righteous when he is remoued that hee should not see the euill day to come The sicke Man Alas of our follies While wee should seeke GOD and our Soules Saluation with the strongest straine and power of our Soule by the corruption of our Nature wee are caried on the by We liue heere in a sinke of sinne The older the world groweth it groweth the worse Euery Age in its foolish dotage commeth in with the own guise scorning former phancies with greater follies yea with foolish phrancies of which this predominant that the wisedome of God which in all times seemed follie to the wicked did neuer seeme such a follie as it doeth now from the vpper brimme of sinne the world
All his pleasures are out of tune and temper Beholde how this proude and loftie creature is so curbed withered and wrinkled that it hath nothing but the vgelie shape of a creature Thus after as in a dote hee hath tottered some space about at last hee falleth downe to dust and dust ◅neth to the earth as it was That is petere principium Then all his deuises and his discourses all his arguments and his syllogismes for Riches Honour and preferment inferre a conclusion which is but petitio principij a sort of argument scorned by the Learned as beeing an argument declaring the weaknes of the Disputer so after we haue spended our wits with our wordes all our dispute at last is foūd to be but vpō trashes triffles or as wee say de lana caprina At last all commeth to this that wee are in end found to haue beene neither in moode nor figure but onely jangling and cangling and at last returning to that where once wee beganne Thus hee who in his youth stepped statelie vpon the ground who hauing the world at wish was wont to brag it out with the brauest with big darring words after that in his life he hath beene tossed with losses cares and crosses hee lyeth down◅ into his greene growing bedde that dust may returne to the earth as it was The Sunne at night seemeth to lye downe in a bed of darknesse but like a Gyant in the morning hee ariseth with force of light But man once dead shall not awake till the heauens bee no more A man in his youth with a prophane seared Conscience may swallow ouer Camels of pleasant profitable sinnes without any paine his heart beeing secured with a slumbe◅ing and superficiall quiet But so soone as the tyme of the rotten Age commeth all the sweetenesse of the sinnes of his youth is turned into gall and worme-wood the Conscience of his by past euill spent life doggeth behind him All the dregges and drosse of dolouis fall downe vpon this tyme Then the mirth of youth is turned into mourning This is the nature of sinne the joye thereof euer endeth into sorrow Who doeth not see how the mirth of youthfull lusts passeth away with the faire blossomes of youth after that commeth old age life the time of the fall of the leafe a time of deadlie diseases After that man in his youth hath drunken at the brimme the clearest pleasures of sinne in his olde sicklie age when hee hath greatest neede of comfort then must hee drinke the doolefull and drumblie dregges of sorrow This is the course of mans pilgrimage in this valey of teares Wee come weeping into this Worlde where vvee walke through troubles and temptations vvhereof except that God bee more mercifull the end shall bee bitternesse brimstone fire Alas for our benummed heart Oh that vvee were sensible of our owne miserie and could weigh what it is to toile into this world a wildernesse of woe What is heere that should tye our heart from the loue of Heauen If vvee would speake with Scripture wee would say that a thousand yeares in Heauen are but like one day on earth and againe if vvee would speake with trueth vve must say that one day on Earth seemeth longer than a thousand yeeres in Heauen Dolour and griefe prolongeth that which is made short by joye and pleasure An houre in a painefull prison is longer than a vveeke in a pleasant Palace Let mee speake a Paradoxe A Child of a day is of a thousand yeares of age older than Methushelah Why A day on Earth is like a thousand yeares in Heauen for length Fye fye on our foolish vanitie that wee cannot consider A Childe of a day may bee content with a day of life and say if hee could speake I am full of dayes yea full of yeares and full of labour I wish to be in heauen wher a thousand yeeres seeme not so long as a day yea where Eternitie it selfe shal neuer seeme to be too lōg Eye vpon too great desire of dayes while wee liue on earth as vvormes vvee creepe on it In death we creepe in it Mans heart on earth is like a tooth in the jaw the deeper roote it hath the more paine it causeth when it is in drawing out with the Turkesse A heart fixed to the earth and nailed to the ground either with pleasure or profite or desire of yeeres cannot be rugged from thence without renting of its filme If mans heart bee sette vpon long life hee shall neuer want the disease of the feaze of disease the messenger of Death A feeble fitte of a feuer will put him in a maze of amazement In a vvorde doe the best hee can all the dayes of his life are but labour and sorrow The best man that liueth so soone as hee beginneth to liue must say with a sigh All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite till my changing come See I pray you howe the life of man as with loose reines and a laide downe head is euer in a course like a swift Dromedairie posting to a change Beholde Sir howe foolish this world is that gappeth so for many yeares that all that men haue euen to their skinne they would giue it for their life See and consider how the olde man is besieged with dolours and diseases on all sids some set on his eyes some on his eares some on his teeth some on his tongue some on his legges some on his lights and some on his liuer See how all sortes of diseases is like flesh f◅es prey vpon the old man not leauing a free bit of him from the sole of his feete to the crowne of his head See what a gostlie sight it is to beholde such ratling bones couered with a wrinkled skinne Now after that hee hath coughed and spitted on a space some few yeares beeing a burden to himselfe and a cumber vnto others at last hee sickneth and taketh bed and falleth into the hands of Death which holdeth him with fearefull grippes Then Death commeth with a colde sweate ouer-running all his bodie looketh him grimme in the face Then his jaw bones beginne to hang down and his face to grow pale and his cheekes wan Then his eyes water their stringes breake his tongue faltereth his breath shorteneth and smelleth of earth his heart lifteth his throate rattleth his joynts stiffen After that Death hath made a breach with the shot◅es of great artilerie whereby it hath beaten and broken downe all the noble partes of the bodie Death commeth in like a strong man and grippeth so the hearte of the poore man that by diuerses gaspes hee maketh his heart-strings to leape asund◅ * That done the ruinous house of man falleth and his Soule leapeth out with his gaspes which in an instant must compeare before its Iudge either
all bee comfounded and turned backe that hate Zion confound all hatchers of Here◅ies let them bee as the grasse vpon the house tops which withereth afore it groweth vp wherewith the Mower filleth not his hand nor hee that bindeth sheaues his bosome Protect Her by thy cloud by day direct Her by night by the pillar of fire let neuer the bright star of thy Gospel goe downe which pointeth out vnto vs the Sauiour Saluation of our Soule O righteous LORD thou hast juste cause against this Church to make Her Sunne goe downe at noone and darknesse to surprise vs in the cleare day with a sudden and ineuitable sin prizall and destruction GOD blesse vs with an holie vnion and banish farre off the Deuill of diuision Blesse our gracious SOVERAIGNE the Kings Majestie Mak him to joy in thy strength greatlie to rejoyce in thy Saluation Direct His Heart His mouth by thy Spi◅it giue him his hearts desire and with-hold not the requeast of his lips Giue to Him the courage of Dauid and the wisdome of Solomon Be fauourable to His Royall Match Inflame Her Heart with the loue of thy deare Sonne Iesus Let all Her desire be to know him crucified Make Her an happie Mother of happie Children euen a blessed Mother in Israel Blesse our Nobilitie make them noble like the men of Berea so that they may haue courage for the Truth And seeing LORD that as wee may see in this our deare Friende man is like to vanitie and that his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away Take vs to thy schoole and teach vs to number our fewe and euill dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome to wel doing Let it please thine Highnesse to grant vs these out sutes for the onely sake of Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith the verie Anchor of our Soule the onelie stay and staffe of our hope the ende and rest of all created desires the true substance of ceremoniall shewes and shadowes To Him with Thee and thy Spirit of Grace bee praise and thankesgiuing glorie and dominion now and euermore AMEN If your sleepe in the night be interupted cause read vnto you the Booke of Ecclesiastes the strong enemie of all worldlie vanitie Moses his psalme which is the ninty Psalme shal be meete for your meditations cause reade also the 1 Pe◅er chap. I. The LORD sanctifie all your spirituall exercises to the comfort of your wearied Soule The GOD of all mercie blesse the little sparke of Grace enkindled by his Spirite in you till it spread into a big flame GOD with a little Dewe of newe Grace can so bl◅sse prosper another Grace alreadie giuen that Hee will make it though so little like a graine of mustard to growe towardes a tree Blesse GOD who hath not suffered you to tread the fearefull and desperate path of these who from the beginning of their life vnto the end haue beene nothing but disturbers of peace waues of the Sea foaming out their owne shame and casting vp mire and dirt vpon the shore of their whole couersation The LORD edge the little measure of your weake Faith with a longing desire after fulnesse of perswasion And season your heart with sauing Grace The Lord make his most Sacred and powerfull Word so to enter into the secretes of your Soule that it may strike a dead stroke at the sweetest of your sinnes that your sinnes being slaine your Soule may liue and haue a portion in Gods new Ierusalem till yee come there the LORD guard you with an inuincible troupe of his blessed Angels The Loue of the Father the Grace of the Sonne with the Peace his Spirit bee with you for euer THE FIFT DAYES Conference Of the last Iudgement The sicke Man OVanity of vanities O vanity of vanities all is vainity this whole night I haue dreamed of vanitie I thinke that my Dreameproceedeth from vesterdays Conference for Solomon saith that a dreame cōmeth through the multitude of businesse Well is the man that is well occupyed in the day for in the night such businesse maketh an impression into his Spirite An euill doer in the day cānot often dreame of good into the night Happie is the man that hath made the Lord the onelie leuell of his life What houres can it now bee I long for a sight of my louing and comfortable Pastour The Pastour Heere I am Sir come againe for to see what progresse yee haue made into your Christian pilgrimage Ye◅ heard yesterday of the vanitie of all things that are below I desire now to know how your heart hath beene affected since The sicke Man I haue Sir all this night d◅eamed that this world is but vanitie a lifting vp for a fall a race vnto a ruine I see nowe that all the profites and pleasures thereof are but lik a rotten Nut when men thinke to cracke the kernell they find nothing but worms with rottenesse bitternesse which prouocke the eater to spit O how the pure and cleane streames of diuine grace are stained with the stirring of the foule puddle of corrupt nature I am greatlie oblished to my God who hath giuen to me such patience in my sicknesse that I haue beene able to heare that heauenlie discours which ye had yesterday concerning earthlie things This life as I perceiue is nothing but a toilesome task of cares the best of our time is but labour sorrow our ease is a disease and wee rot in our rest Mine heart is no more in this world He is but a foole and so shall hee feele who euer hee bee that is too bent for the transitorie trashes thereof Heere is not our rest Rest heere is not our best As water by standing becometh stinking so the Spirit rotteth by carnall rest The ease of the flesh is the disease of the Spirit If wee bee without God in the world in our well we shall find but woe in our wealth but want in our loue but l◅cke in our mirth but mone In laughing the heart shall be sorrowfull and the end of that mirth shal be heauiness◅ Without God in greatest compan◅ is greatest melancholie Hee whose eyes the god of th◅ world hath not blind-folded may easilie perceiue that all that is heere is but vanitie which vexeth the spiri◅ What follie is this to take pleasure in such perishing things which can bring no comfort at the conclusion of all when dust must returne to the earth as it was Oh that wee were wise to consider that while wee are heere we are compassed about with a bodie of sin in a world of wickednesse All sortes of euil in this world with eager pursute persecute the Soule of sinfull man all the depthes of Sathan and policies of Hell concure into this worke Now Sir I intreat you seeing yee haue spoken so heauenlie of the earth that it would please you to say some-what concerning the last judgement
they who gather themselues before the decree come foorth Behold and consider what a change is this These who mourned of before for their sinnes shall then solace themselues in their sorrowes The shriks squoakes of these damned soules falling down to hel which shal be to the wicked a song of judgement shal be to the Godlie in that day quite otherwise euen a song of mercie full of mirth and of Musicke O how sweete then shall mercie bee to the Godlie when they shall see what Gods fearefull vengeance shall work on the wicked whom their life by an accursed Alchymie turned the grace of their God into wantonnesse O how rejoyced shall their heartes bee when that great IEHOVAH shall begin to sway with his Almightie Arme that mace of yron for to dash these fore-lorne limmes with paine both of sense and of losse Then shall the Theefe wish that both his hands had beene maimed and mutilate Then shall the vncleane person whose eyes are filled with adulterie and filthinesse wish that he had beene borne blind Then shall the Drunkard wish that he had beene borne without a mouth Then shall the Blasphemer a man of bloody oathes wish that his tongue with a Turkesse had beene torne out of his throat This also for a surplus shall bee joyned to their anguish none shall bee for to wish them well or for to condole their miserie The decree beeing once come foorth and the doome of damnation beeing once pronounced with these wordes of command Depart from mee c. All the vngodlie in scarlet abominations who in their excessiue pride rousted on high as in Eagles nests shall in that day fall down with Deuils into that Dungeon and ward house of Hel wher ther is no light but for to let these which are tormented see their miserie no darknesse but that which may hid from their eyes all sortes of comfort Then all their by-past burning pleasures shall bee quenched into the fire of Hell lik◅ed hote yrō quenched into water with an extinguishing noise Nothing shal be then but shouting gnashing of teeth sighing sobbing and fearfull groanes Fewell of fire and garments rolled in blood All wicked Soules shall that daye bee drencht into an Occan of desperat displeasure and shall bee carried away with an invnding spaite of spitefull wrath O what joye shall bee kindled into the heartes of the Godlie when on the one hand they shall behold the miseries of the Theiues Drunkards Adulterers Fornicators and Blasphemers who were wont wantonlie to stretch out their throates into high blastes of blasphemie whē on the other part they shall consider how God in mercie hath fastened them as nailes into a sure place which cannot bee shaken O what gladnesse of heart shall the Saintes haue after that they haue seene the wicked tumbled downe into Hell to see what companie they shall be into among Angels of light loue with Christ himselfe in whose face is fulnesse of joye at whose right hand are pleasures for ouermore These pleasures vnspeakable for the greatnesse of themselues shal bee commended vnto the Godlie by two by-respects First by the consideration of that infinite woe and hellish virulencie without anie mixture of mercie whereinto they shall see the wicked to be plunged wherof they shall bee free Secondlie by the rememberance of the miserie whereinto they liued while they did dwell on earth during the dayes of their vanitie their estate changed to the better shall become the sweeter Are they not these who are called Lillies among the thornes doeth Scripture call them These that are come out of the great tribulations Their by-past tribulations shall wonderfullie commend their present felicitie This wee see to be of great force by daylie experience The considerations first of other mens woes of the calamities wherewith at other times vvee haue beene perplexed are like Hunger which like good sauce giueth rellish and taste to course things which at other times wee thinke to bee no dainties To the hungrie Soule euerie bitter thing is sweete How sweete thē shall the sweetnesse of Gods face be to the Godlie after all their terrours are past after they haue seene the wicked these fearfull mis-chappen brats tumbled down the steepe precipes of eternall destruction What pleasures I pray you shall these bee when pleasures for euermore shall be joyned with the rememberance of all these tribulations wherin wee were enwrapped while our feete stackefast in the myre All these considerations joyned together with vnspeakable pleasures shall make the Harpes of God sound Halleluiah Halleluiah for euer and euer Such meditations ouerflow my Soule dyuing in such depths Now Sir yee haue heard of the last thinges which shall bee done in this world heere is the conclusion of the last judgement The wicked as S. Matthew saith shall goe away to euerlasting punishment but the Righteous to Life eternall The sicke Man O but mine heart is sore moued within mee while I thinke of that deepe Gulfe whereinto all wretched Soules shall bee plunged O yee who in the dayes of your vanitie drink vp the very Creame flower of the earth al your pleasures now thē must be gone Oh that euer anone we culd applie this vnto our hearts My soule is look one liking down from an high and steepie place The meditations of these woes of the wicked makal my senses to be troubled al my spirits to be confusedlie shuffled together my heart within me is so tossed to fro that it is come like a squissed egge whose yolke is mingled with its white All my thoughtes are confounded as one that is into an hurlie burlie Good Lord let thy visions bee vnto my Soule visions of peace The blessed God preserue vs from all these woes Lord make vs all to cleaue to thee with full purpose of Soule Now to come to the purpose In your discourse ye haue powerfullie let mee see the wicked swallowed vp in a fearefull gulfe Let mee heare now what becommeth of the godly The Pastour After that Christ hath giuen them his Blessing saying vnto them Come yee blessed of my Father c. They all beeing crowned and clothed in royall apparell shall all in good order goe triumphantlie in Charets vp to the Heauen of heauens with such shoutes of triumph and of Ioye of Loue and of Laud as was neuer heard since the world was founded Then shall that prophecie bee fulfilled God is gone vp with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Sing praises to God sing praises That shal be the Lambes marriage day a day that shall neuer bee darkened with a night a Feast that shall neuer bee followed with a Fast. The day of the bringing of a Queene to the King of the Land is a day of great joye What pleasure can bee had of Mirth or Musicke shall not bee away that
day without night heauens without cloudes mirth without mourning joy without sorrow and beautie without blemish All good thinges muste abound there where God shall bee All in all When wee shall bee there our God shall enlighten our minde and shall giue our will its will without controlement Then shall no man say I doe the euill that I would not and doe not the good that I would doe nay but wee shall doe all the good wee would beeing in no wi◅e troubled with the euill wee would not Then shall wee rest from all our labours refreshed vnder the euerlasting shadowes of Christ that most pleasant Apple Tree whose fruite is sweete to the taste Nothing in a word shall bee inlaking that may rejoyce all the senses of our body without all the faculties of our Soules within All the Godlie these blessed Denizens of Heauē shall euer in a Quire sing the praises of the Lambe Halleluiah Halleluiah vpon the loud Cymbals Harpes Organes and Timbrels of God O Lord one day in thy Court is better than a thousand else where said the Psalmest speaking but of the figure of heauen Is it so of the figure of heauē what shall it be thē to be in heauen it selfe euen in these new heauens Let it be but the tenth better according to that one day in Heauen shall bee better by ten thousands times than the best day that euer man did see on earth There is no serenitie below which is not ouer clouded with some dumpes of heauinesse while the flesh is vpon the Soule it shal be sorrowfull Pure sincere joys cannot dwel in the valley of teares in this muddie mortalitie One day aboue is more bright and better than tenne thousand below Is it so of one day in Heauen Mercifull God what shall it be thē of these dayes without number euen of that euerlasting of dayes euen that eternal day of light life libertie cleare without all g◅mie clouds of sicknes of sorrows O for a sight of the light of that countenance a light of continuance which no mistie vapour shal for euer bee able to ecclips O Day neuer to be darkened with a following light O euer fresh pleasures which no sorrow shall bee able to fret waste or weare out O Eternitie Eternitie neuer to haue an end O that faire heritage vnto all these that are there The lines are fallen in pleasant places If wee had heartes to belieue the thoughts of such Glories should waine our heartes from the milkie transitorie trashes below which worldlings dreame to bee an heauen not to bee changed with any such preached pleasures O when shall our Soules get them with the Spouse to these high Mountaines of Myrrhe and hills of frankincense The consideration of this happinesse made Ignatius a Scholer of S. Paul to defie all the tormentes that cruell Burrios could inuent for the tormenting of his bodie Fire Gallowes beasts said he Crushing of my bones quartering of my members breaking of my bodie Let all the torments of Sathā seaze vpon me together I care not for them so that I may enjoye my Lord and his righteousnesse O that all the thoughts of our heartes were made subordinate and contributarie to such spirituall and diuine desires The sicke Man O Lord in the multitude of thy thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my Soule Cōtinue your speach I pray you concerning the beautie of the Heauens within which is the Presence-Chamber of the great King The Pastour S. Iohn describes it with such wordes as men are able to vnderstand or imagine The vnderstanding of man concerning the beautie of a Place reacheth no further than to Gold Glasse Crystall Pearles and precious stones which indeed are nothing but like Coales or drosse in comparison of these heauenlie bodies * Before that the man of God beganne to declare what hee had seene of Heauen hee said that there came vnto him an Angel that carried him away to a great high mountaine shewed him the great Citie the holie Ierusalem a type and figure of Heauen Glorious thinges are spoken of thee O Citie of our God euen of thee Ierusalem Because that Ierusalem was a type and figure of Heauen I shall first speake a little thereof As for the earthlie it was a Citie in Iudea builded as some thinke by Melchisedec Otherwise it was called Salem and Iebus or Iebusi After that it was called Aelia from Aelius Hadrianus the Emperour who builded a part thereof and enuironed Mount Caluarie Christes Sepulchre and Golgotha with a wall This Citie had two parts the vpper part and the lower The vpmost part thereof with the Temple was builded vpon mount Moriah Because in this Citie the Lord had his residence and did shew himselfe more familiarlie than into any other part of the world it was called The perfection of beautie and joye of the whole earth It is written that in circuite compasse it was foure miles In forme it was foure square hauing twelue gates Ioseph recordeth that it was Dauid that first called the Citie Ierusalem In the time of Abraham said hee it was called Solyme Some also say that Homere called it Solyme which in the Hebrew tong saith Ioseph signifieth a Fortresse Thus much concerning the earthlie Ierusalem which now is in bondage with her Children the most cursed Citie in the world since that desperate voyce of blasphemie was heard in it His blood bee vpon vs and vpon our Children The sicke Man That is a fearefull desolation The Pastour Great was that desolation It is called The abomination of desolation a desolation abominable or foresignified by an abomination The sicke man I remember well of these words of that Gospel This I remember that Christ did speake them with a Nota Who so readeth let him vnderstand Often while I did reade these words I found my selfe secretelie accused of negligence in that I tooke paines to vnderstād the saying which Christ desired the Reader to vnderstand I pray you Sir let mee vnderstand the words The Pastour The wordes are these When yee therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holie place who so readeth let him vnderstand Then let them which are in Iudea flie into the mountaines The wordes of Daniel are these And after threescore and two weekes shall Messiah bee cutte off but not for himselfe And the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the Citie and the Sanctuarie and the ende thereof shall bee with a floode and vnto the end of the warre desolations are determined And hee shall confirme the Couenant with many for one weeke and in the midst of the weeke hee shall cause the oblation and the sacrifice to cease and for the ouer spre◅ding of abominations hee shall make i◅ desolate euen vntill the consummation and that determined shall
joyes that are aboue the Heauen of heauens Hee who with penne and inke would set out the greatnes of that glory which is to bee seene within that blessed Building should bee as who would foolishlie tak paines to paint the Sun with a coale In vaine shall a man prease to expresse that which cannot be spokē but into vnspeakable words Words come shorter than thoghts and thoughts come shorter infinitly than the thing it selfe The sicke Man I haue heard with great ioye of the vnspeakable glorie of God himselfe of the beautie of his Princelie Palace I desire now to heare some thing more at large concerning the estate of the Sainctes wherein they shall be when they shall dwell with God after the resurrection The Pastour It is most certaine that they shal be there into a farre better estate than wee can imagine For if Da◅id thought one day in Gods earthly hous◅ better th◅ a thousand else where what shall it bee when wee shall bee in Heauen the Citie of our GOD whereof God is the House and the Temple The Saincts shal be in such glorie there as that no earthlie tongue can tell If in this world by be holding in a glasse the glorie of the Lord wee are changed into that same Image from glorie to glorie what a change shal bee made when we shall see not Gods Image not in a glasse but himselfe face to face If the sight of his Image in the glasse of his Gospel hath such a working power as to change vs into the same Image heere on earth what a change shall bee made of vs in the Heauens when we shall see God euen as hee is All the godlie Gods warriours then shall liue in peace and rest As their life on earth was a continuall battell so shall their life in Heauen bee a perpetuall triumph Then the winter of their affliction shall bee past The stormes of their miserie shall blowe no more On Earth joyes and sorrowes are combined together In Hell is sorrow without any joye In Heauen shall bee joye without anie sorrow There they all in bleached coats of righteousnes shall blaze brighter than the Sunne God beeing in them shall burne in them as hee did in the Bush They shall burne but not bee consumed While S. Iohn was rauished in the Spirit he behelde a great multitude which no man could number all standing before the Lambes Throne cloathed in white robbes which had beene bleached from their blemish by the blood of the Lambe hauing the testimonie of two Senses he reporteth what hee saw and heard With his eyes hee saw them cloathed with white robes and Palmes in their hands The one was their innocencie the other was their victorie With his eares hee heard the songs of their triumph They cryed said hee with a loude voyce Saluation to our God which sitteth vpon the Throne With them were Angels Elders roūd about the Throne all falling down vpon their face and singing Blessing and glorie and wisedome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Then with vncōquerable comforts shall all Christes crouding Turtles bee loueinglie comforted Then shall all their sighes bee turned into songs Then joyes vnspeakable shall fill all their senses without any surfet Euerie Sense shall receiue more than all mortal hearts can conceiue But which is of all good things the sweetest relish there shall bee such vnspottednesse of life and loue among the Saincts as the heart of man here cannot conceiue Euery one shall rejoyce of anothers wel as much as they shall doe of their own felicitie The enuious man seeds-man of all strife debate shall not be there All selfe-loue which is of a niggardlie nature enuious of the good of others shall be quite away in the place therof shall come such an heauenlie loue that shall make all the joyes of Heauen to be common As was in the primitiue Church so shall bee there but in greater perfection a communitie of goods One shall not say This is mine or that is thine But as wee shall bee all in Christ Christ in vs so shall wee bee all one in another filled one with anothers joye All state of strife then shal be farre away In Ierusalem aboue an euerlasting peace is within her walls and perpetuall prosperitie within her Palaces All the godlie glistering like starres shall rejoyce one into anothers light Euerie one of them by twinkling and be◅kning vnto other with celestiall smiles shall bend all their force for to giue glorie to the Sunne of righteousnesse the fountaine of all their light All Soules there shall bee most wonderfullie beau◅fied with internall externall and eternall happinesse There God onelie shall speake peace vnto his people and vnto his Sainctes who shall neuer returne againe to their folies Mans chiefe contentment in the heauens shal be in loue first with God and then of one with another O these euerlasting streames of contentmentes which shall flowe into these blessed breastes sequestred for euer from all doole and distresse The sicke Man Lord make all these thinges to liue freshlie in our memories My Soule is inflammed with loue to heare of that loue which shall bee betweene God and his Saincts and among the Sainctes themselues Your discourse Sir with a plausible and pleasant insinuation windeth it selfe into the affections of mine heart It hath alreadie winne mine heart to him to whome it most justlie belongeth Blessed bee his Name for euer Seeing yee were speaking of that vnspeakable loue that shal be between God and vs and also among our selues I pray you to say some thing more concerning that matter The Pastour I shall doe what I can brieflie As for God euery Soule shall loue him better than it selfe because it shall then perfectlie know that God hath loued it more than euer it was able to loue it selfe As for all the Saints wee shall loue them equallie with our selues as beeing all members of that mysticall Bodie Then and not till then shall bee the perfect practise of that second great command the summe of the second Table which is to loue our neighbour as our selues If the Soule of this naturall Bodie in the toyle of our pilgrimage hath such a commande ouer our naturall affections that it maketh vs to loue all the members and euerie member to worke equallie well for the good of another O mercifull God what greater loue shall proceede from that Spirite of Loue which shall bee in the Heauens euen the Soule of that mysticall bodie of all the Elect Looke how much grace surpasseth Nature and Glorie surpasseth Grace the Spirit of God which shall animate this bodie shall so much more straitlie make the members thereof to liue in Loue The holier the Soule bee within a man the greater loue concord is betweene his members
But if the Soule be not holie all the members will shortlie discord The one Hand will cut off the other The Hand will wound the Heart or cut the throat and the Mouth will bite the Fingers But O what loue shall bee then among the members when our Sanctification shall bee made so perfect that nothing more can bee added vnto it O what loue peace and concord shall bee there where God who is loue like a more powerfull and noble forme shall in an vnspeakable manner informe all the members of that mysticall bodie Wee all then shall accord to one thing All our wils shall bee according to Gods will And eue◅ie one of our wills with another shall bee like our two eyes whereof the one cannot so soone turne but the other must follow after it for to behold the same object Wee cannot now comprehen◅ this For mans reason heere on earth is like a riuen vessell which can not containe the discourse of immortalitie Our mindes are so drossie ◅mpish that they cannot conceiue euerlasting matters Wee speake now of Loue O but Loue now is litle among men we may say of it in this last age as Lot said of Bel◅h Is it not a little one Though it bee little now it shall bee great in these dayes Then shall it defie all sickle and foolish changes In this worlde belowe three graces dwell into the Soule of man like three sisters viz. Faith Hope and Charitie two of them conv◅ye the godlie Soule vnto the doores of Heauen viz. Faith and Hope but Charitie entereth in The Lord openeth his Doore to Loue Faith beeing a substance of things not seene so soone as the Soule commeth to sight it ceaseth to be because there is no such substance there Hope being of things to come so soone as the future is become present it hath no more a doe But Loue entereth in and as fyre posteth vp to fyre so Loue swiftlie flieth to God for God is Loue and for to speake so the verie element of Lou◅ Till Loue bee at him it is like a thing out of its element the place of its ◅ost there shall our soules feede on his Loue In such a feeding they shall bee as if they were euer hungrie and as if they were euer satisfied As the heauens hunger is without any laking so is its fulnesse without any loathing On Earth as it is said Voluptates commendat rarior vsus Single vse maketh pleasures the more agreeable But in Heauen the more our Soules shal haue the more they shall desire The more they shall desire the more they shall receiue So by an infinite multiplication joyes and pleasures and contentments shal be heaped vpon godlie Soules for euer like fyre in fuell which suppone the fuell be infinite can neuer die out but day lie increasseth as it were from a sparkle to a flame What shall I say more There shall bee such a fulnesse of all good thinges that no Soule shall bee able to receiue a greater desire of more All shall bee content all shall bee vnspeakablie glorious and made perfect There shall be no blemish into our bodies nor sinne in our Soules Iaacob shall not halt Mephibosheth shall goe straight blind Isaac then shall see Leah shal no more be bleared the deafe shall heare the dumbe shall speak The lame man shall leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall sing Then shall these words bee perfectlie performed There shal be no more a pricking briar vnto the house of Israel or any grieuing thorne of all that are round about them Then shall our wearied Soules find aboue the highest circumference of Heauen the Centre of our rest God then shall bee our Sanctuarie in whom we shall haue joye and gladnesse without feare of ending O folie folie folie Why should we for such earthlie toyes losse such celestiall joyes Hee that for so little pleasure losseth that which Christ hath bought with so great paines as said a Father Stultum Christum reputat mercatorem That is Hee thinketh Christ to bee a foolish buyer while indeed he himselfe is a most foolish seller When one day with prophane Esau he shall bitterlie repent his bargane then shall hee know what a pennie-worth hee hath of all his pleasures The sicke Man Alas that men cannot consider O my God master and mortifie all such corruptions within mine heart that they be not able to lay my soule open to Sathans temptations But to proceede in our purpose what thinke yee shall bee the chiefe exercise of Soules in Heauen The Pastour It shal be to sing Psalmes of praise and to follow the Lambe whether soeuer hee goeth from East to West or from South to North. The sicke Man Alas that for this pricke of earth men should doe that which shall debarre them from that Palace of pleasure Our bodies as yee thinke shall not then bee wearied in following the Lambe were it to goe neuer so farre The Pastour O not Then shall our Soules bee refined from the drosse of sinne Then shall wee bee free of all this lumpishnesse of clay caused by sinne wherewith now wee are both cloyed and clogged Our motion then shall bee swifter than the Sunne in his course As with a◅thought our hearts will compasse the Heauens so shall wee goe most swiftlie whether wee desire As by the motion of the Eye wee looke from East to West or as the Sunne beames while he ariseth are suddenlie darted from the one end of Heauen to the other so shall it be of our motion then for we shall bee carried with the infinite power of God which shall not be subject to the Lawes of naturall motions below As for example here can be no motion without resistance All motions whether from aboue or siō below or ouerthwartlie finde enemies by the way opponing themselues to that which is moued as Edom did to the Israelites saying Thou shalt not passe by mee The stronger the opposition bee the motions are the slower Man cannot wade thorow waters so swiftlie as runne thorow the aire vpon the earth because the partie is stronger which is against him all things goe so below but aboue no bodies shall oppose themselues to the Children of God What euer bee aboue all shall goe with them they shall bee like shippes before the winde carried with a mightie gale There is nothing heere like vnto that that shall bee into that celestiall Fabricke But not bee curious to diue into such deepes This is certaine that the Sainctes shall bee carried there with the force of an vnspeakable power and that without anie wearinesse They shall runne saith the Prophet and not bee wearie they shall walke and not faint What can these want who beeing companions of the blessed Angels shall abide with him in whose face is fulnesse of delight There all our pleasures
shall bee so pure that no vncleane inclination shall be able by any juggling feat of conueiance to cogge in it selfe into our heartes any more O the foolishnesse of mans blind and bewitched heart that for a moment of toylesome time should losse that Eternitie of joye The sicke Man Thinke yee that in Heauen wee shall bee of diuerse ages Children men or olde men as wee were here when wee deceased The Pastour It is hard to tell wee must not swerue from the wisedome of Gods word Scripture heere is silent But seeing Heauen is the place of perfection it is probable as some Diuins thinke that in Heauen all shall bee in greatest perfection Seeing say they that infancie is imperfection and olde age is defection none of two are conuenient for bodies that are perfectlie glorified As the Sunne taketh the mid course of Heauen so shall the godlie who shall shine like Sunnes abide in the middest beeweene the Poles of all extremities for there shal be the perfection of Vertue Age Stature Beautie and of all that shall concerne them All shall bee content for all shall drinke their filles out of the Riuer of the vnmixed pleasures perfections of God which neither Man nor Deuill the strength of Hell or length of eternitie shall euer bee able to trouble or make drumlie The sicke Man There is one thing which earnestlie I desire to know viz. Whether or not wee who on earth haue liued together and loued one another shall know each other into Heauen The Pastour It is thought that so shall be and that because of the presence of God in whom is such a Light that by it wee shail see and know these whom wee neuer did see or know on earth When Christ was transfigured vpon mount Tabor down came Moses Elias whō the Apostles had neuer seene of before Though they had neuer seene them before that yet by the light of Christes transfiguration they were so inlightned that they did perfectlie know what they were If the sight of that figured light gaue such a knowledge vnto sinners that they knew these whom they had neuer seene what shall it bee when all obscure figures and also our sins which maketh all good thinges obscure shall bee remoued and God shall bee All in all But though we should all know one another as I thinke indeede we shall all these carnall respectes which are heere as of Father Mother Wife Childrē shall all fall from vs lik the mantle of Elias before wee enter into Heauen for to enjoye these Empyrian pleasures which are so far aboue the fadome and reach of all changable mortalitie Wee thinke much now of such earthlie respectes which are indeede Coagulum hujus vitae the verie curding and joyning together of greatest naturall contentments But seeing all such things are but things of Child-hoode they shall not enter into our thoughtes when wee shall bee perfect men into the Heauens the presence-Chamber of our God When I was a Childe saide S. Paul I spake as a Child I vnderstood as a Child I thought as a Childe But when I became a man I put away childish things So long as a man is into this world if hee be compared with that which hee shall bee hee is but a Child hee vnderstandeth as a childe hee speaketh as a Child and hee thinketh as a Childe All the dearest naturall respects that are heere are but childish things Seeing they are so when we shall come to Heauen where we shall bee perfect men they all shall bee put away I will let you see this in a natural figure In this world we haue that which wee call Child hoode and that which we call the perfection of a man Now tell me I pray you should it be seemelie for a graue Senatour sitting before his Prnce and confering vpon the most weightie matters of the Kingdome to beginne and speak what he did with this Child and that Childe with whom he was wont to ride vpon Reedes Would hee beeing a wise man at such a time beginne to discourse how with these little companions hee builded vnder a bowre little houses into the sand or how in their childish conuentions they made their litle feastes of Pieres Nuts and Apples Would a wise man thinke ye in the presence of his Prince put off the time with such purpose No not When the foolish Child is become a wise man hee speaketh no more as a Childe neither vnderstandeth hee as a Childe neither thinketh he as a Childe Such childish thinges in Heauen shall not so much as once come into his thought for that were to thinke as a Childe That which is now in part shall bee done away at the comming of perfection which shall bee in that Coronation day Because we are heere but children wee cannot now vnderstand the wisedome of the words thoughts that wee shall haue aboue Languages then shall cease One shall not speake English and another French and another Spanish That Babylonish confusion of tongues shall bee taken away and wee all shall speake the Language of the Lambe God then shall speake no more vnto his people with stammering lippes and with another tongue Then shal be no difference of contrie-men or estates whether they were borne in Asia Europe or Affrica There shall it not bee looked to whether they were Kings or Subjects Masters or Seruants bond or free In the Heauens is neither Greeke nor Iewe Circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond or free But Christ shall bee All in all What can bee laking vnto man where God shall bee vnto him All in all yea and the Soule of his Soule As the Soule is in the whole man whollie in euerie part so shall the whole diuinity in the heauens informe the whole mysticall bodie and bee in it whollie and that into the least member thereof God beeing All in all Then and not till then we shall bee satisfied aboundantlie with the fatnesse of Gods house and drinke of the Riuers of his pleasures yea and our Soules shall feast themselues by all our senses vpon vnmixed joyes free from the mudde and distemper of all displeasures In a worde our heartes shall bee fastened to our God with such cords of loue which no thing aboue or below shall bee able to vntwine Heere is our journeyes end heere is our resting place from our labours and toilesome trauels Heere is absence of all euill and presence of all that is good Heere the Lambe is the Temple and the Light and the Tree of Life that bringeth foorth fruite euerie moneth euer new joyes without perishing of the olde euer new pleasures without any loathing of the former euer new light without any darkning euer new life without any dying euer new delightes without any dolours euer new Glorie without any grudge euer new mirth with out any mudde of miserie * Bodilie pleasures worke a
some glimpse of joye may yet more clearlie appeare for the recreating of my wearied Soule O deare Redeemer no tong can tell how much poore sinners are beholden vnto Thee who with a strong Arme hast brought them out of a dry pitte wherein was not a drop of comfort O that deepe and darke dungeon of sinne that I haue beene into O these blessed beames which my Soule fealeth comming from his countenance O the Light of that Face which putteth more joye into mine heart than all the worlde can haue when their Wheat Wine and Oyle doe most abound O infinite weight of glorie O pleasures euer to be spoken of though vnspeakeable O joyes euer to bee thought of though none heart bee able to conceiue them O pleasures most pleasant to the eye though eyes below cannot see them O O euerlasting mirth of Musicke O yee celestiall Tunes most worthie to bee heard though eares of flesh cannot heare you O Tree of Life most sweete to the taste though sinfull tongues may not taste of thee O Crystall River proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe when shall my soule drinke of thee with a full Cuppe Mine heart like an Hart panteth brayeth after these water brooks Oh when shall I come and appeare before God O my God keepe mine heart vnder some spirituall serise of these blessed delights till perfectlie I enjoye thee into the armes of my Soule with the contentment of all contentmentes then which there can bee no greater The Pastour It is the Lord who with the Eye-Salue of his grace hath enlightened your minde He hath taken out the mots of temptations which of before did mak the eyes of your Soule so to water till they become drumlie Now Sir yee know full well what it is of God and his goodnesse in the Heauens where faithfull Soules shall be fed with the bread of Angels and feasted with the daintiest delicates that are aboue The wicked in this world are like blinde men which eate many moats and flees They eate them because they cannot sec to discerne them All the knowledge of the wicked is but â—… carkase and carion of knowledge To know God his Son Christ him crucified is the verie marrow kernell of true happinesse A Soule whose eyes the Lord hath enlightned with grace can no more rest off its God than an element out of its own place It may well bee detained with-holden from its place by some stronger power but no power can make it to rest till it be there where God hath appointed it to rest Your Soule now Sir is drawing neere vnto its Rest The neerer 〈◊〉 bee vnto it let your motion towards it bee the swifter In this Grace is like Nature swiftest at the end of the motion which tendeth vnto rest Vp still with your heart rejoyce in your God Happie are yee who now are flitting from this worlde wherein the sillie Soule as a Ball in a Tenice is tossed from wall to wall scourged with the Racket of diuerse temptations which by course one after another are readie to catch it at euerie rebound Let your Soule now altogether rejoyce in your Sauiour That is the only joye which shal neuer be taken from vs All other joyes are but liâ—… flying moats in the aire toyle and toyes toylesome toyes For euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse The sicke Man Blessed bee my Lord for euer I finde now the beginning of these joyes which passe all vnderstanding My Spirit hath receiued the earnest of immortalitie I finde now my Soule in the kindlie temper of a spirituall constitution which as I am fullie perswaded shall neuer bee troubled with anie moodie mixture of distempered mortalitie if once this Battell were ended O the blessed beames of that righteous Sun which shine so brightlie vpon my Soule They shall neuer be intercepted by any earthlie interposition of sinfull shadows Hence foorth nothing shall bee able for euer to â—…et God my Soule at oddes O now nothing shall bee able to affright my Soule any more with dreadfull distempers to God alone belongeth the glorie Well may I say If the Lord had not helped mee it had not failed but my Soule should haue beene put to silence I esteeme all the joyes which I feele to be a Cluster of Canaan which my faith lik a trustie Spy hath broght vnto mee that thereby I may know the goodnesse of that Land But because I cannot tell what assaults my Soule may yet suffer for I finde my former joyes a little ouerclouded I pray you Sir to conceiue a prayer to God for mee that the assurance of his pardons may more and more be sealed vp into mine heart that death bee not vnto mee as a king of feare but rather as a passage and an entrie to life eternall Make earnest requeast for mee that I die not as the wicked whose hope doeth perish with their breath hauing their Soules goared with sinne the sting of Death O Lord bring mee an Out law by Nature within the bounds of thy Sheep-folde Fill nowe my Soule with spirituall and heauenlie inspirations I haue alas the most parte of my life beene like roustie yron vnfitte for anie worke It hath fared with mee as with the Eye which seeing other thinges seeth not it selfe nor the face wherein it is fixed In knowing other things I haue remained ignorant of my selfe a great stranger at home into mine own bosome from my youth my Soule sicke of â—… spirituall dropsie did swell in a conceit of its owne excellencie Now Lord wound this pride of life within mine heart wound it in the head and craze it in the braine Separate all iniquitie from mee that nothing wherewith thy Spirit may bee grieued may harbour in mine heart Vpon this earth there hath beene none hoe with my desires which lik the sore crauing Horse-Leach culd say nothing but Giue giue Now Lord make my Soule to loath that which I haue too much loued prepare my Soule emptie it of all that is euill before it come before thy Face wherein is fulnesse of joy for all Saints and Angels which are aboue Now Lord after that thou hast cleansed mee by the fierie tryall by beating and battering mine hard heart let the workman-ship of thine holie hands be to refine me more more till I become perfectlie a newe creature O powre this heart into the calmes of thy compassions that therein as in a mould it may receiue thy liuelie Image Weede out of mine hearte all carnall and earthlie desires The Pastour I blesse the Lord for such working of his Spirit According to your desire wee shall bend our knees to God in prayer While wee are praying lift vp your heart vnto God and pray with your Spirit Set now all your affections in bensell
before the Lord Let vs all humble our selues heere before our Maker A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD prepare our heartes to prayer Let vs not be rash with our mouth nor hastie with our heart to vtter any thing before Thee O glorious GOD and all mercifull Father which art the true Physicion both of Soule and bodie we must humblie bend our knees before Thee intreating thee to be with thy seruant heere whom thou hast now laide into this bedde of languishing Let not his sinnes whereof hee hath beene guiltie from his youth vp prouok thy wrath any more against him Knit them all in a bundle and cast them all behind thy mercifull back burie them al into the bottomlesse sea of thy compassions that they neither bee able to accuse him any more in this worlde nor yet to condemne him in the world to come Though his sinnes LORD were like Scarlet and Crimsin there is vertue into the Blood of thy Lambe to make them white like woole and whiter than the Snow For thy Sonnes sake remoue all his transgressions as far frō him as the East is from the west Hell LORD Destruction are before thee how much more the hearts of the Sonnes of men Thine All seeing Eye pryes most clearelie into the in-most closet of mans heart Look with the Eye of thy compassions within the Doores of this wearied heart of thy Seruant Looke in and proclaime mercie and pardon vnto his sillie Soule Let him know that neither Death nor Life shal be able to separate him from thy Loue O LORD assist him and stand fast by him in this houre Desert him not in his greatest last agonie Let thy Spirit possesse him so fullie that there be none entrie or roume for Satans temptations whē the Temper is bufiest let thy Spirite bee strongest Arme him with all Pieces against the last conflict of this bloodie battell Honour him with the Lawrels of victorie Let thy strength be made perfect in his greatest weak nesse Doe the turne by thine owne force and take all the glorie to thy selfe By the vertue of thy Christ crucifie into him the olde Man and his vvorkes Make him to die into him that hee may liue to Thee vvho to all the Faithfull is aduantage both in life and death Hee is now LORD walking betweene thy Mercie and thy Iustice through many-temptations Gouerne thou his steppes vvith such vvisedome that the feare of Iustice may keepe him from presumption and the hope of mercie may preuent despaire Increase his patience vvith his paine Sanctifie his Sickenesse make it as Bellowes to thy graces that thereby they may be kindled and blowne vp to a greater flame Enamour him vvith the loue of thy goodnesse Powre in the oyle of thy mercie into his bruissed hearte which hath bene filled with mournfull groanes And seeing now thou art calling him to repetitions to see vvhat hee hath profited in thy Schoole cast into his rememberance all the good things that hitherto hee hath heard or meditate for to comfort this houre Bee strong in him now in this time of tryall Applye vnto his wounds the Balme of Gilead Hee is weake and therefore O LORD forbea◅e him in thy mercie O pittie this wounded man as did that Samaritane Powre Oyle into his wounds bind them vp and take him to thine Inne For thy mercies sake remember him Forthy Sonnes sake pittie him For thy promise sake forget him not Free his Soule f◅ the maze of all worldlie cares Inspite into him the life of grace with a most fresh vigout and feruent heate of zeale to thy Glorie Hee LORD in his most piercing paines knoweth not what to doe but his eyes are on Thee In thine handes is both Life and Death Thou bringest to the Graue and bringest backe againe In thy greate mercie O LORD make all his bedde in his sicknesse make his bedde to be a Schoole vnto him wherein hee may not onelie learne the hudgnesse of his owne miserie but also the greatnes of thy mercie Let neither Death fright him nor the Graue grieue him Let him knowe that Death is but a sleepe for the friendes of Christ and the Graue a bedde for the resting of their wearied bones Let not the weight of mortalitie beare downe his Spirite frō minding the things which are aboue Make him content to quite gladlie all earthlie pleasures and contentments for to goe dwell with Thee his GOD in immortalitie Let neither the sweetnesse of the Figge nor the grapes of the Vine nor the fatnesse of the O liue hinder his desire to reigne in heauen Against the feare of death comfort him with hope of the glorious Resurrection Assure his Soule though his bodie goe to bee eaten of the wormes that hee in that bodie againe shall see his Redeemer and none other for him Furnish him with spirituall courage vnto the end Giue him boldnesse to march without feare thorow the valey of death for to come to Thee yea to run were it thorow Hell for to come to Thee in Heauen Tell vnto his Soule that his paines dismay him not seeing his trauell is to bring foorth eternall life Let thy Iustice seate trouble him no more seeing Christ hath payed his debts Let him not bee afraide to come before the Face of his Iudge seeing the Iudge himselfe is his Brother who hath both cut cancelled that hand-writting of the Law which no flesh was able to performe Pittie him LORD pittie him for loe hee is nowe in thine handes looking pittifully vp to Thee for thy mercie Some of thy setters are yet vpon him none can loose him but the hands which haue bund him Pittie good LORD and pardon set vnto this Soule the seale of thy pardons by the Spirit of adoption Heale and sweetlie close vp the wounds of his Spirit by the vertue of thy most blessed Blood This is our confidence that thou who hast stricken him is able to heale him and will also doe it if it bee for thy glorie and his well if not Lord in judgement remember mercie If it bee his best that after some dayes sicknesse he depart out of this mortall life let these paines which hee suffers nowe bee like Ionathans arrowes which were not shot for to ◅urt but to giue warning Giue him grace that like an obedient Childe hee may as w◅ll kisse thine hand while it beateth as while it blesseth If thy decree be come foorth that hee must remoue from this World assure him of a better place where pleasures are in greater number th◅ the starres Teach him by thy Spirit that by death hee shall change a mortall habitation a dungeon of darknes◅◅ cage of corruptions for euerlasting T◅bernacles most heauenlie sacred M◅sions where constant peace vnmi◅ joyes remaine Weane his heart from the loue of all things that are vnder the Sunne Let the beautie and glorie of the Heauens whereof hee hath heard at length this day
good therefore that yee summon your hearte and your glorie to giue praise vnto your God Let not a thought of your heart absent it selfe from this point of seruice God must not bee serued by halfes As for mee I am but the Lordes weak Instrument for your well Giue God the glorie The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule all that is within mee blesse his holie Name I desire now to come with Dauid to my last words A speach of the sicke Man to his Pastour First of all I addresse my speach to you my worthie Pastour Gods mercie in you toward mee hath beene great for yee haue soundlie vnfolded all the intricate difficulties wherwith my Soule hath beene fearefullie entangled Yee are one of these that may well say Wee haue the mind of Christ God by his Grace haue made you that one of a thousand you haue I found to bee like Ionah the sonne of Amittai that is the sonne of trueth Happie is that Preacher who is ledde in all trueth O the Majestie of that message O the wisedome of these that gaine Soules vnto Christ Wisedome hath said That hee that winneth soules is wise O but my Soule loueth you My loue toward you assureth mee of Gods loue toward mee for by this wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren I loue you Sir in the dearest blood I haue for yee haue beene the good instrument of God for my conuersion ye in all my troubles while mine heart was toucht to the quicke and my Conscience ransackt to the bottome haue beene to mee a Barnab as a sonne of consolations where with as with splents ye haue bound mine heart God in great mercie hath giuen vnto you the tongue of the Learned with lippes touched with a coale from his Altar for the relieuing of my wounded Conscience with words of comfort O but that is true a whole some tong is a tree of life By the sword of the Word ye haue cut the twisted bonds of my greatest temptations wherein my Soule lay fast fettered Mine heart hath beene greatlie rejoyced to heare you resoluing al my doubts and difficulties O howe beautiful are the feete of these that bring goâ—… tydings Now I finde that of Solomon to bee true The word of the wiâ—… are as goads and as nailes fastened by the Masters of assemblies which are giuen from one Shepheard Christ that great Shepheard of the flocke 〈◊〉 with your words as with goades â—… nailes so fastened me to himselfe that Death it selfe shall not bee able to seuer vs Yee haue wonderfullâ—… restored my sicke Soule with flagonâ—… of the most sweete juice of the cluster of wine Ye haue bound vp my broâ—… ken joynts with the spirituall splenâ—… of diuine comforts O in what woefull plight O in what seas of gall was I plunged when yee came first vnto mee there was nothing sound into my Souleâ—… All was full of botches boiles and puâ—…trifying sores But yee like a cunning Surgeon in curing tumours haue broght the matter to an â—…ead and at last with great skill ye haue launced the boiles of my corruptions whereof nowe God in mercie hath made mee free I tremble to remember these fearefull temptations wherewith yee found mee at the first beset and besieged These were indeede such temptations as Bernard called Terribilia de fide horribilia de divinitate Sathan hath assaulted mee both in a blacke shape and into an Angel of light By your sweete comforts my Soule hath beene reuiued like that dead man that liued by touching the bones of Elisha Yee haue fed my Soule with the doctrine of your breastes bigge as Towers Yee haue strengthened and sinewed my weake Soule with comfortable words wouen and wrought out of a feeling heart by the strength of holy meditations And now happie are yee who haue beene the instrument of my conuersion I hope to bee one day one of these that shall stand at your backe when yee shall say to your Master Christ Behold heere I am and the children that God hath giuen mee Account me Sir one of these Talents that yee haue gained with the Talent of your gift Your wordes haue stricken home vnto mine heart with powerfull and particular applications of comforts whereby my disaffected Soule hath beene wooed and wone vnto the loue of my Sauiour Iesus account me therefore a seale of your Ministerie Ye know better than I what God hath promised to these that with a readie minde shal conuert a sinner from his euill ways such as God himselfe hath promised shall bee like the starres in the Firmament for euer From your lips is come the sweetest balme that euer dropt from the penne of God vpon the leaues of the Booke of life Blessed bee my God who by his good Spirit into your mouth hath breathed most sweete comfortes into my Soule Woe to all Doctours of dispaire Blessed bee your lips wherein God hath placed the preseruation of knowledge Your tongue to mee hath beene like a siluer watch bell to rouse and waken vp the gifts of God within my Soule God by his words in your mouth declaring vnto man his righteousnesse hath blowne vp his Graces which were weake into mine heart like a smoking flaxe or a sparkle of fire vnder greene wood Blessed bee my God who by your diuine instructions hath made mee to bee acquainted with himselfe Your comforts hath beene cordials and lenitifes to the ranking and festered sores of my Soule To God bee glorie who hath made you moste cunning of that great Arte of sauing sinners O my deare Pastor by the refreshing Balme of your consolations ye haue infinitly indeered my soule you to gâ—…s one of a thousand I am assured that God hath made you faithfull with Ieremie for to take foorth the preciouâ—… from the vile Nowe my God with whom I thinke to bee shortlie bee with you in your Ministerie make you his faithfull seruant vnto death that ye may bee a worthie wooer for Christ for to bring home manie straggling sinners vnto him the blessed Bridegroome of our Soules Farewell now my faithfull Pastour My Soule now is glad to flitte from this house of clay As for my bodie it must goe to the graue where for a space it shall bee confined but not confounded for I looke assuredlie for the day of the Resurrection O Lord seale vp in my Conscience the discharge of all my sinnes that I may gladlie lay downe this Tabernacle The Pastour Mine heart rejoyceth with an exceeding great joy to reape such fruits of my labours But this know that what good yee haue by mee it is not from mee but from him that sent me * It is God that giueth life Soule vnto the Word that is powerfull to Saluation Paul may plant and Apollos may
water but it is God who giueth the increase The best of all Preachers are but like Iohn the Baptist the voyce of a Cryer who could not make all the crooked straight nor the rough plaine If any good bee conuoyed vnto your Soule by mee I am but the Instrument or Channell wherethorow the Spirit of Iesus hath made his Graces to flow vnto you To Him alone belongeth the Glorie and the Thankes It is not humane eloquence which conuerceth Soules One word quickened and enliued with his Spirit is more fruitfull than all the glorious eare-pleasing pompe of mans wordes which like Agrippa and Bernice are full of phantasie All the good that man can doe either by word or worke is like the honie in the combe gathered out of many flowers But the euill is lik the Spidders webbe drawne out of our owne bowels The griefes of your heart Sir haue bene very great but now ye are mercifullie comforted Manie in this world plod on from sin to sin marching merrilie feareleslie towards the plagues of Hell But O how much are yee beholden vnto your GOD who in all your wearisome mazes hath supported and sinewed your Soule by his sauing Grace Because Sir there be here diuerse of your Friendes and other acquaintance vnto whom it may be ye wold desire to speake I giue place to them that now they may learne something of you The last words of a godlie man are verie forcible vnto the liuing And therefore Sir while ye haue breath spend your short time vpon this that by your good counsell yee may doe good to these that are for to liue after you That once done commit your Soule to God as a faithful Creator He himselfe hath said I will not leaue thee neither will I forsake thee A speach of the sicke Man to his Friendes And now yee my trustie Friends whose age God hath crowned with ripenesse of judgement I turne my selfe to you But first of all let mee speak vnto you my spiritual special Friend who in my deepest plunge while I was fast sticking into the myrie clay did vphold me with your comforts Your counsell to sende for my Pastour hath prouen a speciall salue for my sore God by that man of whom yee spake hath now healed my Soule of all its harmes O blessed be that vnspeakable mercy of my God Though Sathan had bereaued mee of my puritie he could not bereaue my God of his pittie The Lord of light hath brought my Soule out of that long and loathsome night which is in the valley of the shadow of death in comparison whereof the most palpable darknesse of Egypt might haue beene esteemed to bee day O that pleasant Sunne-shine wherewith my Soule is nowe inlightned O my God breath more more into my Soule the life of grace The spirituall Friend Glorie bee to God for his wonderfull mercies towardes you The Lord now set your Soule on wing that swiftlie like an Eagle it may flie vp to its God Many a sore assault haue yee suffered since I spake with you at the first Satan his temptations with the world the corruption of Nature had gathered themselues against you like Gebal Amon and Amaleck against Israel Of them may yee well say nowe They compassed mee about like Bees they are quenched as the fyre of thornes To Sathan may yee now say Thou hast thrust sore at mee that I might fall but the Lord hath helped mee When I mette with you first yee were compassed with a chaine of calamities one linked into another To mee yee appeared to bee hanging ouer Hell by the slender twined threed of a lifelesse hope Yee were plunged deeper downe than Ionaâ—… was when hee went downe to the bottome of the mountaines where the weedes were wrapt about his head Now let your Soule say with Ionah I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgiuing I will pay that that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord. The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule and all that is within mee blesse his holie Name Blesse the Lord O my Soule and forget not all his benefites Farewell my trustie Friend Now as for you mine other friends I turne my selfe to you Hee that is conuerted with Peter should labour the conuersion of others Hee whose weaknesse the Lord hath helped should strengthen his brethren It is nowe time to take our last good night Heere in your presence I say Farewell O world wherein I haue liued which I haue too much loued Learneye in time to set your affections vpon God None of you can tell if God shall giue you such laiser to repent as he hath granted vntome If yee forsake not in time the sweete pleasures of your sins feare lest at last that that be found true which Abner said to Ioah Knowest thou not that it will bee bitternesse in the latter end There is no sinne so sweete to man in his life but before his death it shall bee dissweetned and turned into gall and wormewoode within the bellie of the Conscience I speake by experience as one who hath knowne the terrours of the Lord O my deare friendes looke ouer your shulder back to your bygone life and consider how grieued yee shall bee for the sinnes of your pleasures when yee shall bee warded into your death beddes readie to compeare before the great Iudge of the world As yee see mee this day so shall others see you ere it bee long I haue often beene glad among you Yee see now by mee what it is of all worldlie â—…oye With a little blast of sickenesse such comfort like chaffe are chassed away Your time is fast comming Your Glasse is running my sicknesse cryeth vnto you Learne of the estate of this your olde Friend to make your selues readie for another world To mee to day to you to morrow Where the tree falleth there shall it lye Whether the Glutton and the Begger are gone thither must wee all that is either to 〈◊〉 hams bosome or to the Deuils 〈◊〉 The death of one is like a 〈◊〉 charging all others to bee readie 〈◊〉 flitte and remoue Happie yea thrise happie is that man who in these 〈◊〉 and desperate dayes is not dulde with securitie Blessâ—…d is hee who is forâ—… warned striue to bee forewarned Blessed is that man who is eueâ—… vpon his watch hauing his loineâ—… girded and his Candle in his hand waiting for the comming of his Lord. A dew my louing Friendes Seeke in time the friendship of your God Striue to be worthie the stile of Abraham that was called The friend of God O my deare Friends let mee now tell you what the Lord hath done to my Soule Hee hath at last beene sensiblie gracious to my poore Soule which Sathan hath long hunted vp downe like a Patridge on
straight rule to direct thee in all the cariage of thy life let no worldlie businesse with-draw thee from it while it is preached These who eate their bread with greatest sweate eate not the sweetest bread It is not earlie rising nor late going to bedde that enricheth Though for a time Marthas toyling and troubling her selfe about many thinges seeme to bring much profite it shall bee seene at last that it is the grace of God that enricheth This is most certaine the ◅urest fastning in this world is but loofenes without God in whom alone is the certainty of that which shal neuer perish In all thine affaires in all companies remember that in the secrete closets of thine heart thou haue frequent ejaculations vnto thy God that hee may guide and guard thee while thou shalt encounter with temptations hardlie shall shee bee caught that feareth the snare Sathan with his baites lures is euer waiting for to catch his prey Hee hath three great gunnes three great impoysonners whereby hee wasteth the graces and good names of many viz. The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life It shall bee thy best to arme thy selfe against these three by holding continually a wakening and jealous eye ouer thy whole conuersation If the euill thought be stiffled so soone as it beginneth to stir into the heart it shall neuer bee able to produce an euill action into the hand For this cause wise Solomon gaue a precept which I may call a spirituall Cordiall which is that aboue all watch and ward men and women should keepe their heartes Manie with Hypocrites may seeme to haue their hands in heauen by giuing almes with the Pharisee while indeede their proude loftie faithlesse heartes are in Hell God looketh not so much to the outward action as to the inward affection The Lord cannot away with the painted superficiall flourishes of holines of these that are false hearted and meerelie formall The Israelite indeede in whose heart is no guile is the Lords delight Studie therefore I intreate thee to the puritie and power of godlinesse Bee carefull to write all these heart precepts vpon the palmes of thine handes lest that vnawares thou bee woefullie caught and ensnared in some scandalous sin whereby thou shalt shame thy profession All mortall feete are feeble and stand in a sliperie ground O what danger is in giuing way to our first sinfull motions while sin is least feared it is most to bee feared Sathan is most dangerous while hee is transformed into an Angel of light Poyson confected with Sucre is moste piercing and deadlie Smiling Ioabs are most cunning in smiting faire alluring tickling temptations oftest preuaile Manie are like the Larke which while it playeth with the feather and stoupeth to the glasse is suddenlie enwrapted in the Fowlers net There is nothing more dangerous than securitie While Peter thought himselfe stronger than all men Sathan was hatching three abominations in his heart which at last brake out first in lyes and last in perjurie stand in awe and sinne not One sin draweth on another lik links in a chaine Wee haue sinned wee will goe vp that is wee haue sinned wee will sin Keepe euer GOD in thy sight and bee humble Bee carefull in all thy cariage to liue in good example Allow not thy selfe in that which is euill flee the folies of this age which is wonderfullie giuen to new guises of decking the bodie most womens hearts are sowred with this leauen Let spirituall joyes be thy jewels the good works of thine hands let them be the gold rings of thy fingers the matter of thy pleasures There is nothing more pleasant than to doe wel For this cause good workes are in that Song of songs called a gathering of Lillies and flourishing of the Vines She who is too curious of the outward decking of the Backe cannot bee carefull of the inward trimming of the heart Fard and foolish vaine fashions of apparell are but Bawds of allurement to vncleannesse Away with these dyed Dames whose beauty is in their Boxe such dawbinges are soone washed off from these painted Iezabels such melting faces are not meete for marterdoome for the cause of Iesus vnder such false faces is no lodging for true and honest hearts In all things striue thou to be sobe◅ Beware to out runne thy rank or to out weare the fashions by attyring thy selfe too gorgeouslie Soft appparell is but for Kinges houses What are such Cuts and Cordons Silkes and Satins and other such superfluous vanities wherwith manie aboue their ranke and place are so disguised but infallible tokens of an vnsanctified heart With such follies often are joyned libertine eyes wandering in wanton glaunces Let my counsell please thee Idol not thy bodie with these who habour in their bosome the snake of pride Let thy chiefe care bee to decke the hidden man of the heart A meeke and humble soule is a great ornament in Gods eyes This is Scripture The ornament of a meeke quiet spirit is of great price in the sight of God Shee whose heart is truelie godlie will be most carefull to put on that which most will please the Lords eye Consider well what I say Follow not the fickle fancies of vaine womē whose minds are like the Moone in a continuall change but rather bee a Schooler of these whose wisedome is constantlie contrarie to all new fangled follies Too curious busking is the mother of lusting lookes the Iuy-Bush hung out for to inueigle vnsanctified hearts vnto folie What are these finest silkes the fairest feathers of our pride What are they but wormes worke moathes meate Striue for the power of mortifying grace while the flesh is lusty and at a full sea the Spirit is at vnder euen at a low ebbe The pampering pride of life is the bane and poison of spirituall graces beware of it It is an high treason against the most High it is a sinne which first lifteth vp and after bringeth downe with a shamefull fall that which it hath once lifted vp The heart of man is lik the shell-fish which pride as an Eagle taketh vp into the aire but while it is come to a great hight it anone letteth it fall vpon the rockes of shame and disgrace where after that it hath dashed it in pieces it greedilie deuoureth it Hee who in Heauen could not dwell with Pride will neuer on Earth harbour in that heart wherein it lodgeth Outward counterfeit humilitie may for a time jug gle the eyes of the beholders such a varnished pride is a double abomination O howe detastable vnto God are these who beeing vainlie puft vp in their fleshlie minde haue no lodging for humilitie but into their mouthes And yet who can haue patience to giue ◅are shall at last heare a Sibboleth some
who hath the fauour of his God In good life is long life Nequities vitae non sinit esse senem The wickednesse of life abbridgeth the life Bee more desirous to liue well than to liue long Too too manie liue to spend their grace-right with their Birth right Such like wanton Widowes are dead while they liue If yee fall in sinne vp vp make haste to returne vnto your God Repentance delayed in youth is a strengthening of sinne against the olde and weaker age The least sin entertained maketh a way for more The least drop of the juice of euill is lik leauen that sowreth the whole lumpe If in this world yee prosper bee not taken vp with selfe foolish conceit Take not outward prosperitie to bee the ell and measure of Gods loue Whether yee wither or yee flourish in worldlie thinges thinke vpon this that your miserie or happinesse can be in nothing but in that which is eternall Goe where ye please the justice of God one day shall try the foote-steppes which ye haue troden The chiefe Legacie which I leaue to you all is the Charter of Gods promise which I haue receiued by the hand of Faith In it is an Heritage of lines fallen in pleasant places VIZ. That not onelie hee should bee my God but that he should be a God to my Childrē vnto thousand generations keepe fast this promise into the Charter Chists of your heartes In confidence of this promise depend vpon your God in well and in ◅oe in wealth and in want Though hee should slay you yet say with Iob that yee will trust in him Nowe for to drawe to an ende for my breath faileth and mine heart fainteth I desire you aboue all things to bee earnest in prayer with God By prayer morning euening dresse your Soules like the Lampes of Gods Tabernacle Fill them of the pure oyle-oliue of his grace that alwayes they may shine Eliphaz charged Iob chieflie with this as beeing the chiefe cause of all his woe that hee restrained prayer before God With this the Psalmest hath branded the wicked They call not vpon God and againe They call not vpon God It is obserued by the most cunning Physitions that paine in speaking and loathing of meate be two symptoms of a diseased distempered bodie A Soule while it prayeth it speaketh while it heareth it eateth If there be paine in the one and loathing in the other that Soule cannot bee well Thrise a day Dauid was wont to pray at morning euening and at noone This zeale also wakened him while others were sleeping At mid-night he arole for to pray vnto his God Happie is that mā who shal so spend the short time of his life in this valey of mortalitie Let this in all things bee an awband aboue your heades that the eye of the Almightie God is euer vpon you and that hee is acquainted with all your wayes Where euer yee bee thinke your selues euer to be in that most awefull presence make Conscience of all your thoughts for the verie thought of foolishnesse is euill Beware of the lustes of youth Striue with God in prayer that hee would so ingage you in his grace loue that your corruption proue not strongest while your wittes are weakest Intreate earnestlie the Lord that hee woulde make perfect his strength in your weaknesse When yee finde anie good beginnings of Grace within your selues waite stedfastlie vpon the due accomplishment thereof in Glorie Whom the Lord loueth hee loueth to the end his calling and gifts are without repentance If this yee doe carefullie ye shall bee like twigges which hauing a vigorous life sprout and flourish till they come to trees And now at last for to conclude and summe vp the whole brieflie If ye would haue God to dwell into you bee yee an holie Sanctuarie for his Spirit If yee would haue God to rest in you as hee did into his holie Temple there must bee in you as was in his Temple an Holie of holies As were within Gods Arke so must yee haue within your heartes the Tables of Gods Law the summe of the Olde Testament and with them the potte of Manna euen Christ the bread of life the substance of the New Testament Loue this word honour this word bleed for this word yea die for it Manie in this world be like these Pultrons and base spirited men of Thessalonica who had no courage for the t◅ueth As for you striue to bee like these of Berea who were better borne of a more manlie breeding in that they were couragious for the Trueth Striue to the keeping of Gods Commandments for like friends they are so linked together that if one bee offended all the rest will interest themselues in its quarrell faile in one and faile in all Pray feruentlie that ye may practise all these my precepts This doing ye shal neuer find your selues fatherles The great God shal be your Father To this Father now I giue you irtreating him to bee a Father vnto you in all times to ensue The Father of mercies the Sonne of his loue and the Spirit of c◅mfortes so guide you in all your cariage that ye may carie an incorrupt Conscience to the Graue The God of all grace mak you perfect stablish strengthen settle you leade you in the Land of vprightnes The Lord blesse you all with his best blessings My blessing I leaue you Kisse mee and so fare well Now the day is fatre spent and my strength beginneth to faile mee seeing all things as the Apostle saith are sanctified by the word of God and prayer let vs conclude this dayes conference with our humble supplications vnto our God My deare Pastour offer yee vp this Euening Sacrifice The Lord perfume it with the spirituall incense of Christs merites that thereby our Soules being perfumed the Lord may finde a smell as the smell of a fielde which the Lord hath blessed Pray earnestlie for me that the Lord giue me both strēgth and courage for the fighting out of this Battell that in the ende I may bee crowned with the Laurels of an euerlasting victorie The Pastour My Soule rejoyceth to haue heard so manie good wordes from your mouth Solomon said verie well and wiselie A word spoken in due season how good is it According to your desire wee shall conceiue a Prayer to GOD for you The Lord powre vpon all our Soules that promised Spirit of grace and of supplications A Prayer for the sicke Man Sore weakned with sicknesse MOst gracious GOD most deare louing Father Let the word of our mouth the meditations of our hearts bee acceptable in thy sight O LORD our strength and our Redeemer By thy Spirit banish all stragling thoughts and keepe our mindes steddie and attentiue in this chiefest worke of deuotion Beholde LORD and consider heere thy poore
The humblest heart is not euer couered with coursest apparell yet certainlie it is good both in life in death to shew good example Lesser sins at the first make way and paue a causey for greater folies framed by some are followed by others Woe to the world for scandales The chiefe thing at burials whereof men would take heede is that the dead burie not the dead Woe to these buriers when these who are dead in sinne burie them who are dead for sinne As for you Friend bee wise in your words The lippes of the foole said the wise man will swallow vp himselfe In many men the affections keepe captiue the vnderstanding The carnall Friend I pray God to make mee wise In all this which I haue spoken there is no great matter of follie Seeing the pompe of buriall displeaseth you yee may bee willing that a funerall Sermon bee made for your praise commendation no man of anie worth now wanteth this honour The sicke Man So manie men so manie mindes Away with the flattering panegyricks of such funerall praise Let Christ be preached and not sinfull man Away with that preaching whereof man is the Text Solomon speaking of the good wife sayeth wiselie Let her owne workes praise her in the gates So let the by past life of a man praise him in his death All men are lyers but Dummie cannot lye If I haue liued well my life shall grace and praise mee sufficientlie If not wherefore should I make the Trumpeter of truth to become a libeller of lyes Vivorum sunt haec solatia non mortuorum Such comforts are onelie for the liuing but not for the dead O the vanitie of stinking pride which blasteth the soules of men with most filthie staines Tell mee I pray you who made Christs funerall Sermon when hee was laide into the Graue Hee whose life could neuer preach is not worthie to bee preached vpon after his death If while wee liue our life preach it will preach also after our death The best funerall Sermon a man can haue is when his life maketh all his godly neighbours to say This man while hee liued 〈◊〉 a Nathanael an Israelite indeede without anie fraude or guile Hee was a man who truelie and sincerlie liued in the feare of his God But men must be preached will yee say for such is now the fashion Well if men will be preached with Seraphicall tongues let him who preacheth their vertues also preach their vices as the Prophets did of olde not sparing Kings Dauids treachery and his adulterie his murther and his numbering of the people are as well set downe as his desire of the building of the Temple So Solomons idolatrie and foolishnesse is as well put in write as his wisedome So Hezekiahs pride and Iohoshaphats louing of these that haâ—…ed the Lord and Iosiahs rashnesse in battell against Pharaoh Neco are plainelie declared faithfullie penned that all the world may knowe that they were but poore sinners It is written of Gods beloued people that for their sinnes God deliuered his strength into captiuitie By this appeareth euidentlie that the best Kinges and best people are in Gods word as well painted in their vices as in their vertues He who would rightly draw a mans portrature must paint his blamishes as well as his beautie In such a case his wrats his wrinkles must be wroght with the pinsell that his image may bee like vnto himselfe If men be onelie portreyed in their vertues the halfe of their face shall not be seene What is the most part of mans life heere but a sinning against God and a prouocation of the eyes of his glorie The best men that liue here in the greatest perfection of Gods image are like a quarter Moone inlightened but in a fourt part How many haue but a sharpe edge like the Moone first seene after the change If funerall Sermons were made after this fashion that mens vices were as well reproued as their vertues commended the Preacher should bee desired to keepe silence If yee would preach my vertues ye must also preach my vices and then when should that Sermon haue an end Fye on the pride of life which all good men chieflie at their death should both condemne and contemne Of olde in Scripture wee read of the pride of life But now in this last age Satan hath hatched a new pride called The prid of death eueÌ„ of death which bringeth all men low Pride printed into stones cryeth to the liuing Heere lyeth a proude Fellow Hee that will bee proude in death when shall hee bee humble * Away with that which is both hatefull vnto God and hurtefull vnto man For all that is said I would not absolutelie blame Funerall Sermons for the death of Gods Saincts is precious in his sight That which is precious in the eyes of God may bee declared glorious in the eares of men But yet with leaue I must say that with reason in a great part of our Churches they haue beene abrogate and casseered because of abuse Seeing the Brasen Serpent which was made at the first by Gods own appointment was broken in pieces for the abuse thereof and disdainefullie called Nehushtan a lumpe of Brasse much more things which God neuer commanded in his word for to bee beeing filthilie abused may be rejected For is it not now come to passe and that to the great disgrace of manie Preachers to the hearkening and hardening of lewd liuers that men whose life was full of scab scandales their names being rotten fore their bodies are so decked busked vp with flowers of Rethorick so wrapped vp into hyperbolicke commendations as it were into a seare-cloath for thereby to keepe close within smothered the stinking smell of their most filthie memorie Let all abuse bee taken away As for me I would not that men should bee too contentious and eager in things neither bidden nor forbidden by God Paul and Barnabas for an indifferent thing came at last to such an heate that they departed one from another But I cannot reade that euer they met againe If none but these whom God set out as lights of life were praised after death for to bee a spurre vnto the liuing for to follow their footesteppes it should not bee a misse brieflie to say some-what to the praise of the defunct Why should not the glorie of Gods graces in his Saints passe along glaunce clearely in the eyes of these that are aliue But let euer the bodie of the Sermon run vpon Christs life death wherefrae issueth all the grace and vertue of mans life within one periode of a preaching the praise of anie maÌ„ may find sufficient bounds Now I thanke you louing Friend for your kindnesse and good will But also let mee intreate you not to bee so worldlie minded It may be that shortlie as I am now so
thee in righteousnesse in judgement in louing kindnesse in mercies come now and perfect the marriage in glory before the Sainctes and Angels that are aboue where pleasures are for euermore The Pastour Amen Amen The Spirit of God Sir is with you within you Continue in such holie and heauenlie thoughtes Contemne still the transitorie triffles of this world that gladlie yee may desire to goe dwell with your God Naturallie all men are so stiffe-necked and so steele hearted that they cannot submit their will to the good pleasure of their God O that men would bee wise in time and could consider how they must bee accountable for euerie houre of time they haue imployed in their life Our Soules alas are so sensuall that they will not knit into acquaintance with Right and Reason but like factious ligged lieges rebell stifelie against their Lord Hardlie will mans heart rander vnto that petition which is often in his mouth viz. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen The pride of mans heart perketh it selfe aboue the Lawes of humble obedience Blessed bee God whose mercie hath made you a resolued man such wordes as I haue heard of you were neuer teached in the Schoole of Nature Nature cannot speake the language of Canaan We haue nothing to rander vnto God for his working mercies but the mites of praise O but ye are much beholden vnto GOD who hath endued your Soule with his loue subdued the raging power of temptations whe◅with your Soule at the first was caried lik chaffe or dust before a gale mightie winde O but your heart at the first was fearefullie hacked and mangled with most terrible temptations O but the Spirite of Iesus hath wrought wonderfullie within you Now by him are ye made free from all the terrors of temptations which like venemous hornets did flie in your face The sicke Man I finde now all that to bee true Glade is my Soule that euer it knew that Lord Full welcome is his Spirit to me Christ is now my Loue mine hearts delight Hee hath ridde my Soule of all mine heauie-hearted thoughts By his blessed Spirit hee hath perswaded mee that my Soule hath a true and reall enterest in these blessed tidings of peace and Saluation which hee by his Blood hath bought and broght from the Heauens O the mercie of my God! O the Ocean of his compassions which hath swallowed vp the most hudge mountaines of mine iniquities O what a redemption is this to bee deliuered from so great a death wherin the damned must die so long as God shall liue O death of torments without anie end O life of continuance without anie ease O the immortalitie of that death wherein sinners shall euer bee dying but neuer dead wherein the least touch of paine cannot bee counteruailed with the millions of pleasures O the tumbling and tossing that shall bee there where the wrath of God shall infinitelie burne Now Christ the Lord of life hath made mee free of all these fear◅s I hope shortlie to bee with him I rejoyce in hope of the glorie of God To him will I say as hee said to Zacheus Today I must bide with thee I long to bee out of this state of strife My bodie is weake and mine ◅eart fainteth within mee O Lord recreate and refresh my Soule with the blessed Blood of the Lambe orientle streaming thorow the channell of his wounds Giue mee a constant assurance that all my sinnes are blotted out of thy Register Where no woode is there the fyre goeth out Where sin is taken away there wrath ceaseth to bee O Lord conduct the Ruther of my Soule till it hath sailed thorow al the seas of sorrows and become to the Port of pleasures for euermore The Pastour Take courage and continue so Lift vp your head with the eye of Faith behold the other Shore euen the Land beyond the riuer The Land of vprightnes Canaan which is aboue Bend vp all your heart-strings with hauenlie desires Fixe fast your eyes vpon that Crowne of immortalitie Let now all your thoughts claspe fast about the mercies of your God Hee nowe imbraceth you his hand is a sure hold fast which neuer letteth slip that which it once hath seized on In al appearance your Battell is neare an end Waite stedfastlie vpon the Lord Christ shortlie with a soft hand shal loose the knot of your life that your Soule may goe free to the place of its rest your Soule alreadie by the mercifull Arme of Iesus hath beene deliuered from the painefull racke of repentance and now is sette vpon the rocke of your Saluation The gracious God hath beene your Father Feeder and Defender Your desirs which of before were grappled to the ground now only aspire to things which are aboue Afflictions to the Soule is like the gade to the Oxe a teacher of obedience Finde ye now the tempest of your Conscience so allayed as yee would wish Is all calme and at quiet within I hope that the blessed droppes of the Lambes Blood haue quenched that wilde fyre wherewith once your troubled Conscience was enflammed Yee as I esteeme are no more troubled for your sinnes as though God neither would nor were able to forgiue I pray God that yee may boldlie say with a godlie Father What shall I returne vnto my gracious God that I darre now looke my sinnes in the face and not bee afraide The sicke Man My sinnes I blesse God fright mee no more O the rich bowels of Iesus wherein is a Myne of mercie I remember now of a sweete saying of a godlie mā on his death-bed When mine iniquities saide hee are greater than thy mercies O God then will I feare and despaire The comfortes of my God now refresh my Soule lik the Riuer of Siloah that watered the Citie of God I blesse God for all my try all troubles which hee hath made to worke together to my well Grace in the heart is often like fyre in flint insensible vntill it bee beaten It is good for vs that wee bee afflicted The bluenesse of the wound purgeth away euill My Saluation now is surelie sealed by the hand of the Spirit By his seale it is made sure and authenticall O how my Soule hath with a bright eye discouered the fauours of his face O if God forsake a man hee will shortlie with Iudas passe from the horror to the halter O the mercies of God towards me The Pastour O how much are yee beholden vnto God who by his Spirit hath so directed your heart and mouth with wordes perfumed with the sauour of life vnto life yee haue refreshed all our Soules as with a sweete breath If the Spirit of Grace guided not our tongues in our temptations our mouths to our euerlasting shame should breath out stiffe and stinking blastes of blasphemie against the Lord our
Creator Praised be the Name of the most High who hath borne and broken that vnspeakable burden of wrath where with yee were surcharged at our first meeting The sicke Man Amen Amen Blessed bee the Name of Iesus At that Name the knees of my Soule bowe in a most humble manner to the ground for to kisse it with my mouth a thousand times vpon Conscience of my bygone miserie and of his present mercie All mine affections are set on foote and are so cheered and rauished with the loue of my God as no tongue can expresse O happie thrise happie change Once I feared damnation nowe Christ is my Saluation Once I sat in darknesse hee is now my Light Once I was in Death hee is now my Life Once I was in bondage hee is now my Libertie Once I was in want hee is now my Wealth Once I was in sicknesse hee is nowe mine Health Once I was in shame hee is nowe my Glorie What shall I say mo◅e Hee is mine onelie Deare and and dearest heartes desire Hee is my strongest Tower I haue none other Arke to saue mee from the flood Mine heart is prepared mine heart is prepared Oh that I were where without let I shall sing Halleluiah for euer where all earthlie objects shall seeme but filthie abjects in comparison of him Now Sir I intreat you to conceiue another Prayer that thereby as by the Charet of Elijah my Soule may bee carried vp into Heauen Commend my Soule into the hands of Christ the Redeemer Yee the Lords Priest stand still with the Arke till my Soule hath passed the Iordan for to enter into Canaan O Lord Iesus pittie this poore Soule that panteth at thy feete draw it out of this clogge of clay B◅e with mee vnto the end Graue thine owne shape deepe within mine heart that it may bee in judgement as a piece of euidence that the Heauens are mine heritage O look vpon mee who am heere waiting vpon that blessed hope Comfort refresh mee with the sweetest breath of thy blessed Spirit Set my sillie Soule upon Pisga the sight hill of Canaan Guarde mee with the invinsible troopes of thine Angels O thou whose Name and Nature is mercie take my wearied Soule and lull it sweetelie in the softest armes of thy most tender compassions Ioyne your prayers vnto mine The effectuall feruant prayer of a righteous man auaileth much The Pastour According to your desire Sir wee shall worsle with God in prayer that your end may bee peace The Lord gather all our scattered thoughts that beeing as twisted together into one threede they may be like the three-fold corde which is not easilie broken powerfull to draw downe Gods Graces from aboue Let vs pray A Prayer for the sick mā O Lord settle earnest prayer in our Soules vpon true sense of our neede Let not our prayers be tumultuous Tune thou our words by thy Spirit while our lips walke make our hearts to moue Preserue vs from vaine babyling lest our prayers bee turned into sinne O God the God of all Spirites who hast the keyes of Heauen and of Hell Thou steeketh and no man openeth Thou openeth and no man steeketh Open now thy mercifull doores vnto this poore Soule which panteth after thee as the chassed Hart panteth after the water brookes Let none of his sinnes stand betweene thy face and him for to ecclipse his Soule the light of thy countenance Seale vp in his heart by thy Spirit the free full forgiuenes of all his transgressions Thou who by the vertue of thy death made the vaile of the Temple to rent for to mak an open way to the Holie of holies mak also the partition wall of all his iniquities to cleaue from the toppe to the bottome that his Soule remoued from his bodie may get entrie to the Highest and holiest of the Heauens where thine honour dwelleth Make thy Graces in him to growe like Elias his cloud which at the first no bigger than an hand at last by and by did ouer spread the whole skie Sanctifie his Soule and soften his heart with the diuine dew of thy Grace Say vnto his Soule I am thy Saluation Behold Lord his Soule is seeking thee let nothing in his search carie him on the by Keepe fast in his remembrance the blessed bloodie passion of his Redeemer Iesus When Death shall come let him die with thy Christ in his Armes Strengthen and increase his desire to be dissolued assuring him that it shal be much better for him Furnish him with strength whereby he may row against the strictest streams of all temptations till hee arriue into the hauen of the Heauens the sole and safe harberie of Saluation And seeing no vncleane thing can enter into Heauen Lord wash this thy seruant and wash him throughlie that by the vertue of thy Blood his sinnes though they were red like scarlet and crimson may bee made white like wooll and whiter than the snow Pull off his Soule the menstrous cloath of his owne righteousnes and cloth him with the righteousnes of him whose statelie style is THE LORD OVR RIGHT TEOVSNES Thou who hast alreadie added strength vnto his Faith while it was scant like a smoking flaxe let not the sparkle which once thou hast kindled for euer bee quenched Amid the sight of his sins make him to lay hold vpon the merite and full satisfaction of his Sauiour Let him with all the Faithfull receiue of that fulnesse and grace for grace And seeing nowe Lord hee is comming vnto thee thorow the snakie fielde of manie temptations lette his feete bee shod with the preparation of thy Gospel Thou Lord wilt neuer suffer anie that trust in thee to bee confounded Hee followed thee constantlie in his life nowe let thy Spirit tryst him at the houre of death Hee disclaimeth all hope of helpe by anie other than by thy selfe alone Though hee knoweth not perfectlie what to say yet his eyes are on thee Thou who is Alpha and Omega hast begunne this good worke in him crowne it with the perfection of thy goodnesse Let him more more feele that hee is euerlastinglie acquite by the Blood of the Lambe from the terrors of Gods Tribunall Refresh his Soule more and more with celestiall spirituall joyes proceeding from the Spirit of Grace Let him feele himselfe assuredlie knit vnited to thee O thou preseruer of men that in and by thee hee may be presented blamelesse before thy Majesties Iustice-seate Furnish his minde with light and his memorie with strength that hee may vnderstand and remember that Christes death is an absolute and all sufficient Sacrifice for remouing the guilt of all repenting sinners Shewe him a signe of thy loue Multiplie in his heart the pledges of thy kindnes Make him faithfull vnto death that hee may receiue the Crowne of life Thou hast alreadie subdued in him alloue and liking of this world
Nowe graunt that the hope of that glorie which is to bee reuealed may bee so strong in his Soule that it may shield and fence him from the force and furie of the last assaults The nearer he draweth vnto death inlarge the chanell of thy graces like a Riuer which is broadest towards the end of its course Make his heart in the ◅orest pangs of death to bee still lifted vp towards thee And seeing Death and the Deuill mans two last enemies are euer busie the one for to fright the other for to tempt Prepare him Lord and furnish him so with thy Graces that hee may proue victorious in this last assault O gracious GOD assist him by thy force against the most violent blustering winds of the last and most fearefull temptations If Satan looke in at the doores of his heart seeking for an entrie let him neuer get so much as one chamber-roome set a part for his sojourning Make thy grace vnto him like a Sunne like a Bridegroome comming out of his Chamber to disperse the darknesse of his mistie minde Vnto his last gaspe direct him so by thy good Spirit that his Soule may cleaue so fast vnto thee that neither sinne nor sicknesse life nor death may bee able to separate him from thee Thogh thou shuld slay him yet wil hee trust in thee Faile him not now in time of neede vphold his heart in this heauie houre Let his Soule lurke vnder the winges of thy mercie till the tempest of wrath bee calmed past ouer Bee thou to him a shelter against the heauie showers of the last agonie O gracious Lord in wrath remember mercie In the multitude of thy compassions blot out his transgressions and that for the dearest drops of that sacred Blood that gushed vpon the cursed crosse Rinse and cleanse his heart from all vncleannes Giue him courage in his greatest fears Let not Death bee vnto him as a king of feare nor hee as one of the wicked whose hope doeth perish with their breath O Lord let thy Name bee vnto him like a strong tower for to hid him into the time of trouble Let this bee the cleare candle of his comfort neuer to bee quenched that Christ by his death hath for him and all the Faithfull ouercome Death and disarmed it of its sting Declare by the inward motion of thy Spirit to his Soule that the nature of death by the death of Christ is changed into a sleepe vnto all the friends of Christ who by the infinite power of his diuine Nature hath swallowed it vp in victorie and hath so digested it that now the bitternesse thereof is past As the Arke was to Noah and Zoar vnto Lot so bee thou a refuge to this faithfull Soule fighting thy battels not onelie against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the gouernours of darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesse in high places Let thy strength bee made perfect in his weaknesse As thou hast vp holden him hitherto by the strength of thy Spirit so continue with him vntill the end The battell is the Lords fight Lord for thine own cause euē for this Soule one of thy redeemed Ones obtaine thou the victorie and take the glorie to thy selfe O God both of grace and glorie seale surely vp in his bosome the pardon of all his iniquities Perfect the comfortes which thou hast begunne say vnto his Soule That heauen is not so high nor hell so low nor the world so wide as are thy mercies towards him All thy creatures haue their owne dimensions but thy mercie Lord like thy selfe is without measure Out of these infinite compassions make this sillie Soule partaker of the dearest mercies that euer rould together the relenting bowels of thy tenderest loue Heare vs Lord in all these our sutes and that for the sake of thy best beloued and onelie begotten Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ in whose Name and at whole command wee powre out our heartes to thee in that prayer which by his own sacred and most blessed mouth hee hath taught vs Our Father c. The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen Blessed for euer be thy Name for such spirituall comfortes for so manie mercies I can rander nothing but the little mites of praise and thankesgiuing Mine heart is filled with songs of Gods mercie If his Spirit of grace had not vpholden mee in my first feares while as I thought I was wrapped into an infinite wrath I had certainelie beene swallowed vp with ouermuch sorrow But now blessed eternallie bee the Lord who hath made the earth to swallow vp all the floodes of temptations and tribulations which that red Dragon the Deuill a bloodie murtherer hath cast out of his mouth after mee for to carrie my Soule down head-longs to perdition Now finde I Gods word to bee true that hee is ouercome by the Blood of the Lambe Except that the Lord had beene on my side O in what a dumbe dumpe had my poore Soule beene driuen into ere now The Pastour Hee who followed Adam thorow the thicke bushes and Ionas in the bottome of the sea Hee who blessed the crooked man and made the barren fertile and the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare and the blind to see hath made his grace perfect in your weaknesse He best feeleth the pulse of our heartes and the force of our life Loth would hee bee to breake the bruised reede or to quench the smoking flaxe All men by nature are but like an vncleane Dung-hill of drosse their heartes at the first are but a den of Dragons But so soone as the Spirit of grace hath begunne to drawe the draughts and lineamentes of Gods image within the soule of a man nothing shall bee able to deface or mangle that liuelie image To all sorts of temptations Gods wisedome shall finde an out-gate Neither the traines of Sathan nor the treason of our bosome sinnes nor the terrors of hell nor the trashes of the world shall euer be able to preueale against Adirim Gods excellent Ones According as Zacharias filled with the holie Ghost prophecied It is granted vnto vs that wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enemies may serue him without feare The sicke Man I blesse God for such inestimable comforts Sathan hath shrewdlie assaulted mee but could not preuaile My corruptions haue beene subdued and awed by the Majestie of the Spirit of Iesus My Soule rejoyceth in GOD In the merites of Christ as in a glasse I see him a meeke a mercifull Father I am not now afraide to come to a tryall at his Tribunall I am no more dismayed for the vnquencheable flammes of the fierie lake I thinke certainelie that there was neuer a man so much beholden to my God as I am Truelie may I sing with the Psalmest I waited patientlie or the Lord and hee inclined vnto mee and heard my cry Hee
dreadfull visitatations of Conscience His Soule hath bene sore racked with the pitifull perplexities of a vexed minde Now death is approaching Sight senses all are failing but thou Lord will neuer faile him While the naturall eyes of his bodie beginne to growe dimme then cleare thou the spirituall eyes of his soule that hee may with Stephen see the heauens opened and the Sonne of man readie to receiue him And alwayes Lord as the time of death shall approach so let his Soule draw nearer vnto thee that while sicknesse shall take away the vse of his tongue his heart may cry to thee Come Lord Iesus come in thine hands I resigne my Spirit Nowe Father of mercies seeing thy Girnels are prepared for him by the power of thy grace fanne this Corne cleane from its chaffe that it may bee treasured vp therein Put his life in a readinesse that hee may giue thee a chearefull account of all wherein hee hath imployed thy Talents Let him heare these words of joye Faithfull seruant come and enter in thy Masters joye Long hath his Soule beene wooing the heauens with weake fluttering desires Nowe open the window of thine Arke and let in this wearied Doue crouding for thy Rest Manie depthes bee betweene vs and heauen One deepth calleth vpon another deepth for flesh and blood there is no possibilitie of passing thorowe But Lord that which is impossible with men is possible with thee Let therefore the vertue of thy death be to him like a Bridge for to sette him safe ouer all the gulfes of miserie In his journey to thy Kingdome remoue all rubbes out of the way O Lord listen to our cry Put these our vnworthy prayers into thy golden Censer Perfume them with the incense of thy righteousnesse and offer them vp to thy Father vpon the Altar of thy diuinitie And thou Fatherof mercies for the merites of thy Son his all sauing death which hee hath suffered for al repēting sinners Receiuein mercy this Soule which Sathan hath sought to sift Receiue the deare price of the Blood of thy Son Let thy Iustice say I am satisfied Let thy mercie so smile vpon him that it may bee the health of his countenance and the comfort of his Conscience While hee shall finish his course finish thou his Faith with perfection whereby hee may die hauing a settled assurance of that blessed Inheritance and massie Crowne of immortalitie which Christ hath conquised by his bloodie merites To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee all Glorie honour dominion and euerlasting power for now and euer Amen The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen O blessed God and Father of eternity seeing my time nowe is short giue mee grace to manage it well Shute not thine eares to my sighes while my tong in the jawes of death shall cleaue fast to the roofe of my mouth O follow me with thy fauours euē thorow the valey of the shadow of death O Lord because thou art faithfull cannot lie I look shortlie to receiue in hand that which I haue in hope O come now and put an ende to the dayes of my vanitie The Pastour Blessed magnified be the Lord of eternitie for such wonderfull mercies towards you He most powerfullie most wonderfully hath brought you back from the corrupt course of Nature as a Boat rowed against the streame by the force of Armes and of Oares Behold now ye approch vnto your Heauen Be of good heart Sir ye are neare vnto your rest the place of pleasures for euermore Nowe seeing the ende draweth neare yee haue to remember well if yee haue anie grudge against anie that before yee decease they may be fetcht and friended with you The sicke Man I wish all men to be well I hope that no man wisheth otherwise to mee My desire was neuer either to reuile or to reuenge I am readie to satisfie where I haue failed and to forgiue where I haue receiued the greatest wrong Mans wronges against mee are but light in comparison of my wickednes against God Hee is not worthie that God shuld forgiue him his sinnes who will not forgiue his neighbour an injury My good God hath forgiuen mee all As hee hath forgiuen mee so I forgiue all men and desire the lik to be done by others vnto mee My Soule abhorreth these words of ranckour I may forgiue him but I will not forgete him The softning Spirit of God cannot dwell where there is such stonie steelie hardnesse of heart O Fountaine of Grace powre the powers of thy Spirit within my breast that my Soule may bee refreshed with thy blessed balmie comfortes of sauing grace Draw vp my spirit toward the Tabernacles of immortalitie O when shall I come and appeare before God! Put to the Spure to this dull jadde of my foggie flesh that I may make more haste in my journey The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen Seeing God hath blessed you with Wealth I doubt not but that ye will doe some thing for the well of Colledges Hospitales Colledges are the Seminaries or seede-plotes of vertues out of which come these who become Rulers of the Church Common-wealth Hospitals are shelters for the poore the friendes of Christ Christs counsell to the rich is that they make friendes of the Mammon of vnrighteousnes Such words were not spoken by our Lord without great and weightie reasons The sicke Man All these things were done in my Testament while I put mine house to an order I haue not forgot that point of duetie Hee is not worthy to be called a faithfull man who leaueth not behind him some fruits of his Faith That Faith which cannot justifie a man by good works before men will neuer justifie his soule before God Remember mee O Lord cōcerning this wipe not away my good deedes which I haue done for thy glory Let men dreame of Saluation as they please S. Iames his precept is that men shewe their Faith by their workes Though Pharisees doe all that they doe for to bee seene men must not in mens sight forbeare to doe well Because Hypocrites come to preaching prayers publicklie true Israelites for that must not sitte at home The Godlie must not bee so base in heart as to abstaine from all publicke good because the wicked worshippe but outwardlie Shewes without substance in some should not bee able to banish the shewes of substance from others The Pastour Indeede Sir yee speake wiselie As the tree is first seene in the budde and then in the flourish and after in the fruite so muste the life of man bee Because the barren figge tree had nothing but leaues the fruitfull tree must not grow bare the leaues of the tree haue their owne vse among the fruites So haue godlie shewes good vses when they are joyned with true substance The Faith of a Christian should not think shame to shew
him And because I haue deferred my repentance till this houre whereby my Saluation is cutte off if I should die suddenlie Loe how my God in his mercifull prouidence to preuent my destruction calleth mee by a lingring sicknesse which stayeth till I bee readie and prepareth mee to mine ende like a preacher and maketh mee by wholesome paines wearie of this beloued world lest I should depart vn willing like them whose death is their damnation So hee loueth mee while hee beateth mee that his stripes are plasters to saue mee therefore who shall loue him if I despise him This is my whole office nowe to strengthen my bodie with mine heart and to bee contented as God hath appointed vntill I can glorifie him or vntill hee glorifie mee If I liue I liue to sacrifice and if I die I die a sacrifice for his mercie is aboue mine iniquitie Therefore if I should feare death it were a signe that I had not Faith nor hope as I professed but that I doubted of Gods trueth in his promise wh◅ther hee will forgiue his penitent sinner or not Hee is my Father let him doe what seemeth good in his sight Come Lord Iesus for thy seruant commeth I am willing helpe mine vnwillingnesse Heere is the end of that godlie mans speach As at that Brydell in Cana the best wine came last so shall it be heer◅ After the words of a godlie man I shall let you heare the words of God spoken by a man inspired by his Spirit euen the last words of Dauid the man whose praise is this that hee was a man according to Gods owne heart The last words of Dauid Dauid the sonne of Iesse said and the man who was raised vp on high the a◅ointed of the God of Iaacob and the sweete Psalmist of Israel said The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his words was in my tongue The God of Israel saide the Rocke of Israel spake to mee Hee that ruleth ouer men must bee just ruling in the feare of God And hee shall bee as the light of the morning when the Sunne riseth euen a morning without cloudes as the tender grasse springing out of the earth by cleare shining after raine Although mine house bee not so with God yet hee hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Saluation and all my desire although hee make it not to growe But the sonnes of Belial shall bee all of them as thornes thrust away because they cannot bee taken with hands But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with yron and the staffe of a speare and they shall bee vt◅er lie burnt with fyre in the same place Alittle before his death at the inauguration of his Sonne Solomon he spake manie notable words among others these bee of great weight O Lord wee are heere but strangers before thee and so◅ourners as were all our fathers Our dayes on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keepe this for euer in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heartes vnto thee That hundreth and two Psalme is excellent It is intituled a prayer of the afflicted when he is ouerwhelmed and powreth out his complant before the Lord. Heare my prayer O Lord and lette my cry come vnto thee hide not thy face from mee in the day when I am in trouble incline thine eare vnto mee In the day when I call answere mee spe◅dilie For my dayes are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt like an hearth c. Seeing as wee see that nothing is stable in this world but as it is in that Sermon of the Preacher vanity of vanities and all is vanitie wee haue to intreate the Lord earnestlie as Moses did a little before his death That hee would so teach vs to number our dayes that we may applye our hearts to wisedome and to well doing All things below wither and decay our best beauties are w◅ithed and wrinkled by time But the beautie of the Lord is of euerlasting continuance Let the beautie of the Lord our God bee vpon vs. O the beautie of the things aboue O the beautie of the Firmament O these azured Curtaines spangled with stars of light What jewels of joy are within no mortall tongue can tell Looke vp nowe Sir with the eye of your Faith and visite these heauenlie Mansions and blessed buildinges for immortaltiie Yee are shortlie for to change for the better So long as our sillie Soules are here they are but poore Soules reading and meditating the mercies of God within a cottage of clay hauing nothing to see with but the weak light of the small Candle of grace a light dimmed and darkened with the reekie smok of our sinfull corruptions But so soone as wee shall bee dissolued by Death we shall come to the euerlasting Beames of a Sunne which by nothing is able to bee ecclipsed alight which knoweth no darknesse euen that Light which bringeth light out of darknesse Now Sir vp with your heart saile out your course Be like the Pylot who while hee hath hand on the Helme hath his eye fixed on the heauen Take now the Cuppe of Saluation the great Mazer of his mercie and call vpon the Name of the Lord Hee is worthie to bee praised for his vnspeakable fauour toward you He in great mercy hath toward you turned all the sharpe corrasiues of the Law into most sweete cordials of the Gospel He hath now made you free of all these terrours whereinto yee found your selfe once lyable Oh Lord how did once the sharpe edge of thy Law laide to his mourning heart cutte him thorow the verie gall But blessed bee thou who in thy great mercie hast cut the Cartropes of his sinnes where with hee was once kept fast vnder the most heauie bondage of Hell What say yee now Sir How is it of all Haue yee heard all these words and laide them vp into your minde The sicke Man I haue heard them all that with great comfort now mine heart is in heauen Christ by the vertue of his vnualuable Blood-shed hath takē away the gall of my guiltines Now my bodie is wholly dead to its paine and my Soule is whollie aliue to its glorie I see a Crowne of immortalitie which my Soule would not sticke to fetch thorow the brimstone beames of hell My Soule seeth the face of its Redeemer Christ with a soft hand is now loosing all the bondes of my miserie His most sacred Blood hath melted my marble heart Nowe come Lord Iesus come Long haue I looked for thy Saluation Nowe let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation O my deare Soule I summond thee with all thy powers and faculties to
thinke vpon these solitudes and mansions of silence I faint at the verie thought thereof Oh my deare Soule wilt thou abide with mee no longer If thou depart my Beautie my Colour my Conference my Companie and all is gone Oh shall all my senses now bee closed vp shall I speake no more heare no more see no more than if I were a stone Must I nowe goe remaine into the myre of mortalitie the place of silence Must I abide the long nights among the Graues places fearfull to the liuing where men make no resort O wretched weakling that I am by Death as I see I shall bee grapled to the ground where I shall bee forced to make my bedde in the da◅ke The Soule My Bodie bee not thou disquieted I am but for a little space going before thee for to take seasin of Heauen for thee and for mee Though I bee absent for a space I shall neuer forget thee In Gods appointed time I shall come againe and fetch thee out of the muddie moulde of mortalitie At the first blast of the last Trumpet I shall come downe shall enter into thee and quicken thee againe At that time God shal cleanse thee from all thy corruptions and shall mak thee like an Angel of God My sillie Bodie wee haue taken much pains together for to get a rest which we haue looked long for but culd not find now goe to thy rest till come againe for to bring thee to eternall repose If thou were cōmanded to goe to labour to pains thou should haue some cause indeede to whine and to shrinke as one hampered in a snare But the Lord is now desiring thee like a wearied man to goe to thy rest for to sleepe soundlie into a bedde wherein thou shalt no more bee disquieted with dreames or with visions When thou shalt once awake thou shalt bee still with Iesus If in mercie hee hath made mee to preuent thee in the possession of eternitie let not his fauour toward mee worke in thee anie heart rising against that Majestie who as the Potter doth with his clay may doe with all his creatures what hee pleaseth The Bodie But O my Soule the Graue is fearefull It is a retired solitude and a place of silence a place of filthie stinke I abhorre to thinke of it how that in that dungeon of darknesse and denne of corruption I must lye downe naked implunged in myrie slime among wormes a lumpe of most vile and lifelesse clay Alas my Soule The Soule My Bodie bee not discouraged The Graue is a place where the bodie must lye till with the Eagle there it cast its Bill a meanes for to renew its youth So soone as once there it hath cast the old slugh of Nature incontinent thereafter it shall become a new creature Except saide Christ that the corne of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone Haue patience but a little New corne will come at the day of the resurrection The dayes of mans mortalitie are the Lords seede time The bodies of the Saincts are his seede the Church yard is his fielde Suffer now the Lord to sowe his owne ground Bee not disquieted nor cast down with griefe It shall bee thy gaine to goe downe to the graue There shalt thou be sowne in corruption but thou shalt bee raised in incorruption Thou shalt be sowne in dishonour but thou shalt bee raised in glorie Thou shalt bee sowne in weaknesse but thou shalt bee raised in power Thou shalt bee sowne a naturall bodie but thou shalt bee raised a spirituall bodie See what by Gods mercie shall bee the great gaine of the Graue After that the Graues of the godlie shall bee ripe the Lord by an infinite power shall make all their bodies to bee taken vp for like fine wheate to bee laide vp within his heauenlie Girnals When thou shalt arise it shall bee to an immortall happie life Haue patience for a little space and bee not crabbed Yet a little while and I shall not see thee and againe a little while after the resurrection I shall see thee when thou shalt bee transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortalitie Then shall I dwell in thee without anie spot or wrinkle Let the hope of this temper thy present griefe Let not the Graue afray thee my deare Body for it is the last bed which euerie man must sleepe in Lye downe into it gladlie Bee content with the silke worme an argument of the resurrection to bee enwrapped for a space in thy Winding sheete till the chill colde winter-tide of this mortalitie bee pas◅ At the glorious spring of eternitie at the returne of the Sun of righteousnes so soone as the heat of the beating beames of Gods loue shall pierce in vnto thy Graue in a moment in the twinkling of an eye thou shall be quickened and raised vp yea renewed and refined from the sinfull dust of corruption and after that carried aboue the brightest azured skies vnto the place of immortalitie among pleasures for euermore The Bodie I cannot but lament and waile to bee depriued of thy companie My dearest Soule full deare art thou to mee If two strangers had beene but some fewe dayes in their journey together they will haue a certaine regret for to leaue one another What wonder is it then that wee two who haue beene of such olde acquaintance mourne at this last and long adew The Soule As thy loue is great toward mee so is mine also great toward thee my Bodie But seeing it is the will of him who married vs together that nowe wee bee put asunder wee must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure This separation shall be but or a little space and that for the well of vs both The husband will saile the seas and goe farre from home in hope to returne with aduantage The same hope encourageth his wife to liue lik a vvidow for a space At last the husbāds returne with expected profite is welcomed with greater joyes thā was his former presence It shall bee so with vs my deare Bodie At my returne in the day of the Resurrection there shall enter such a joy into thee as eye neuer saw eare neuer heard yea which neuer could enter into the heart of man As the long dark night maketh the morning seeme sweete to the wearied watch who hath long looked for it so shall our little absence be a certaine commendation of that presence which after the great day shall bee for euer Cease in time I pray thee to stick at such earthlie conceits I may no longer tarrie with thee the Crowne of immortalitie is alreadie in sight The Bodie But alas howe is this that thou should goe to glorie before mee and leaue mee in the dust of death a peace of moulding clay Haue I done anie wrong but by thy counsell and direction What haue I beeene but the instrument of thy
sinne All the action is from thee Of all that is done amisse thou hast beene the inuenter the contriuer and arch-plotter God is no accepter of persons or of parties What then is my guilt that I shuld be behind thee left into the Graue a fearefull denne of death and pite of corruption What a miserie is this for me that I should lye vnder the power and bonds of Death a Carion vnder a Turfe warded in deaths most loathsome denne and abhorred jayle There must I lye chill with cold stinking and rotting with my mouth full of earth and my bellie full of wormes closed in a Coffine O what matter of melancholie is this that within a few dayes where are my two beautifull twinkling eyes shal be nothing but fearefull eye-holes in a rotten skull which shall bee nothing but a nect of clockes and abominable creeping thinges Within a few yeares this head which nowe lyeth softlie vpon this Pillow shall bee rolled and trinnelled vp and downe by the feete of the posteritie Heere a bone and there a bone and not a bone together all shall lye scattered heere and there the dogges shall play with some and Children shall playe with others some shall lye drying before the Sunne and others shall be bruised into pieces and grund into powder O what a change is in this our mortalitie Behold presentlie what a starueling I am beeing nothing but skinne and bone Behold and anone all shall be turned into stinke The Soule All such thoughtes are all but worldlie heauie dull and formall Suffer the Lord to sow his owne seede Thou art afraid for the Turfe of the Graue Care not for the Turfe for vnder it shalt thou bee as a pickle of Corne vnder a clod The Spring time of the Resurrection is not farre froe when thou shalt rise vp more beautifullie in honour power and glorie than euer thou was before Shall anie thing bee impossible vnto God Hee who in his death reuiued manie Sainctes vvhose bodies Death had fast vnder the key of its power shall with a blast of his voyce make open Gâ—…aues to let out all these who were prisoners of death from Adam vntill that day Let this comfort cheare vp thine heart my Bodie The Graue shall not bee able to keepe thee long As Ionah was vomited out of the Bellie of Hell so shalt thou bee deliuered from that Monsters mawe The Bodie But in the meane time what reason is it that I a carrionlie carkase shuld bee bund â—…oth hand and foote and committed close prisoner to the graue a cold and chillie house while thou art set at libertie Behold how alreadie I am both withered and wanzed The Soule The Graue to the Godlie is no prison but a resting bedde from their labours where God reâ—…resheth with sleepe the wearied bones of his beloued The Prophet saith That they rest in their beddes and that they enter in peace While the moulds are cast on them in the Graue it is but the drawing of their Bedde curtaine The buried bodies of the Saincts are in their graue lik Babs lapped in swadling clothes in their Cradles As a tyred man will not bee offended if hee bee sent to his bedde for to sleepe neither should the wearied bodie bee grieued to goe to the Graue the place of rest and quietnesse Bee not peeuish nor peruerse my Bodie enuie not mine happie estat Though the Graue should bee to thee a prison why should thou complaine because I am set at libertie If it hath pleased God in mercy to bee good to mee why art thou offended May not the Lord say vnto thee Is thine eye euill because I am good What happier should thine estat bee though God should command mee to bee buried besides thee May not God doe with his owne as hee pleaseth Hee might haue taken thee to Heauen and haue shute mee a prisoner in the Graue In his justice hee might haue cast vs both into Hell Thinke it then a mercie that hee is so good vnto mee who shall neuer count my glorie full till wee bee both crowned vvith immortalitie in the heauens Bee not offended at the Lords good will towards mee but rather thank him that he hath made death to bee temporall in his mercie which was eternall in his threatning Of a corrasiue hee hath made a cordiall Haue patience O distressed Body Suffer a little that God may be true Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne Dust beeing once deliuered from the power of the Graue shall reigne with God in glorie The Bodie is like gold which cannot bee rid of its drosse till it bee molten and dissolued Againe as this death is not total neither shal â—…t be perpetuall for at that first sound of the last trumpet all the beried bodies of that faithfull shall lik the Eagle cast the bill of their mortalitie Now mine olde companion and yoke-fellow art thou not content to goe to bedde and there to sleepe till the morning of theresurrection come That day shall mak an amends for all that we haue suffered in this valey of teares Then shall all thy confusion bee turned into comforts Let vs nowe bee content that the Lord loose the pines and slacke the cordes of this our Tabernacle of clay The Bodie Now glad am I my deare Soule that euer I had such a Soule as thee now my deare Turtle goe with my blessing to the seruice of our God Goe from the Crosse to the Crowne from a prison to a Palace from the mourning-weede to the wedding-garment Goe dwell with the Lord and the Lambe waite well vpon him Goe nowe from the blacke and dismall dayes of drooping distresse and dirtie distractions to joye to peace to pleasure to light to life to libertie Goe heare that happie harmonie of heauenlie Musitians in heauenlie Mansions where mercies blesse without judgments blasts Goe heare the voice of all the Menistrels of that celestiall Quire Bee thou aboue the Starres while I am vnder a Turfe All my comfort is in this that wee shall meete againe in Blisse Now blessed Soule prepare thy Lampe powre out thine oyle the heauenlie wooer the Bridegroome is come for to take thee to his Chambers of Charitie wherein are pleasures for euermore In hope of the Resurrection I goe gladlie to my Graue whereout of I am assured to arise for to meete my Redeemer in the clouds This Candle of my comfort shall neuer bee put out Nowe before wee shedde let vs shedde some teares The last raine of our afflictions wherewith we may bath the bruises of our Lord which he in loue did suffer for our glorie Now I goe to rest in the dust a prisoner of hope Goe thou to thy God attend well his seruice and court his Countenance for euer in his most pleasant Yuorie Palaces I am nowe refreshed with a cooling taste to immortalitie to come Farewell my deare Soule and truest Turtle mount
custome of God as we see to put his dearest Ones to the hardest proofe as wise Builders put the greatest timber and the heart of the Oake to the greatest stresse Manie thinke that Heauen standeth hard by their Bed-side and that a light Lord haue mercie will make the doore of Heauen to goe wide open to the wall no not Through man◅e tribulations we must enter into that Kingdome As Aprill showers goe before the May flowers so must our teares trickle before our Triumphs Wee must smert before we smile and grone before wee glorie All Christian Soules like Christ himselfe must enter by the port of paines vnto the palace of pleasures for euermore No co-reigning without a co-suffering O let vs consider what paines this godlie man hath suffered in this fierie tryall since this Battell beganne O with what difficulties hath hee swimmed thorow so many temptations If the righteous scarcelie bee saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare O sowre Apple of Adams pride many teeth hast thou set on edge The Sparrow by wandering the Swal low by flying may escape but where sin hath beene once there must also be sorrow before that the sinner can come to joye It is not so easie as manie men thinke to winne in at the doores of heauen as though one Gods-mercy were enough for to doe the turne Before that a man be able to winne in at the straite gate for to enter into his euerlasting rest hee must be buffeted with diuerse temptations and broken with sorrowes till his heart become contrit that is grund bruished small as if it were corne in a Querne There is none entrie into rest for man before that in great griefe hee hath pluckt out his right eye euen his dearest darling best bosome pleasure Hee that would lodge with God in eternitie muste heere lay holde on his Kingdome with an holie violence What wonder that he auen be hard to win seeing with all the infernall powers of darknesse legions of our owne corruptions combined oppose might maine the grouth of Gods graces in our Soules Manie foolishlie in the idle rowings of their braines content with a blush of zeale thinke that Heauen may bee winne with wishes and therefore in their life skippe wantonlie ouer the threatnings of the Law in hope that easilie at death they may catch at the promise of the Gospel But who had seene this holie man of GOD vpon the painefull racke of repentance would count all the perishing pleasures of sinne too deare bought pleasures Sinne at the beginning is like poyson in perfume pleasant at the first but not long after it worketh deadlie except that it be repelled with some stronger Antidote The way to heauen as wee see is not like the way to great ma◅ket Townes easilie discerned by the multitude of footesteppes Our good Friende is nowe in the verie panges of death A patient and Lambe like death is this His life is on his lippe This wearied Traueler is nowe neare the ende of his journey Seeing that the ende of a worke crowneth it let vs conceiue a Prayer whereby wee may lay his Soule into the bosome of his God who shall refresh him with euerlasting comforts O Lord by the vigour of thy Spirit giue wings to our groueling prayers A Prayer for the sicke Man approaching vnto Death O GOD of mercle and of mans Saluation who thinketh nothing too deare for a repēting soule were it to giue it a draught of the heart Blood of thy Sonne wee heere vpon the knees of our hearts humbled againe before the foote-stoole of the the Throne of thy Grace put vp to thee our most humble sute for this thy seruant who is nowe comming to thee His words now faile him but thou Lord wilt neuer faile him In stead of wordes let the crouding sobbes the Turtle finde roome into thine eares Heaue vp his heart to thy mercie seate with the requests of thy Spirit in sighs which cannot bee expressed O charitable Almes giuer open the hand of this Begger and thrust the money of thy mercie into it Seale fast vp in his heart the remission of all his sinnes in the blood of Iesus Burie all his transgressions in Christes Burial Establish thy free Spirit within him Take from him all dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit all secure and hardened thoughts all that may hinder him from comming vnto thee Continue his comfortes begunne Bee thou the ende and the ender of his worke Lorde disapoint Sathan who by his charmes and cunning traines hath gone about both by force fraud to catch this Soule of thy seruant Now Death is approaching To thee belongeth the issues of death Thou killest thou makest aliue thou bringest downe to the graue and againe thou raisest vp Now as euidentlie appeareth thou art for to remoue this thy seruant from the Land of the l◅uing and thy will must bee done Wee could haue wished the continuance of his Christian fellowship with the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes But most humblie wee submitte all our affections vnto thy good pleasure and will O Father of mercies in whose boundlesse bowels are moste pittifull compassions without anie passion shew thy selfe mercifull louing and kinde towardes this Soule which in the dayes of its fleshe hath beene with thee but a stranger and ◅ sojourner His Soule now is saying to thee with Iohn his two Disciples Rabbi Master where remaineth thou Answere it as thou answered them louinglie Come and see and after that tak it home to thine own house as Iohn tooke home thy Mother O deare Father of our Sauiour by Nature O our dearest Father by adoption bee fauourable to this thy seruant euen for that blood wherewith thou art passing lie pleased Forget and forgiue all his sinnes whatsoeuer Lay now thy louing Armes about him Claspe him hard to thy bosome and keepe him fast till hee be surelie and softlie placed into the heauens Now Lord thou hast begunne to loofe this Soule out of its prison Let earth goe to earth and his Spirit returne to thee that gaue it Place it into one of these heauenlie Mansions which thy Sonne is gone to prepare for these that are thine Strengthen him now at the last and highest point of his tryall O Great IEHOVAH who neuer hucketh to giue mercie to heart broken sinners let him finde more and more that thy bowels ouerflowing with mercie are readie to receiue him In the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie make his sinnes all to bee choaked and his Soule deliciouslie to be bathed with euerlasting comforts And because Sathan in his last assaults is most furious bee thou most powerfull in him by the vertue of thy Spirite Blunt so the edge of all his temptations that they bee not able any more to wound his Spirit Let thy secret loue bee vnto his Soule lik a Secret or jack in this bloodie battell
hee had time hee liued in pleasures and feasted while others fasted His seuen yeares of plentie are past now let him smart vvith the Glutton into hell Let him there bee refused of a drop by him to vvhom heere hee refused a crumme Can God looke vpon his iniquities and not kindle a consuming fire in his vvrath against such a varnished hypocrite vvhose vvhole religion vvas in a mouth filled with great swelling words of vanitie In such deceitfull cunning colouring hee among all did carrie away the Bell. The Angel Michael God will neuer looke vpon his iniquities for hee hath cast them all behind his backe God beholdeth none iniquitie in Iacob neither doeth hee see peruersenesse in Israel The Lord judgeth not his Children by the remnant of their olde corruptions but by the beginnings of his renewing grace The mercifull God is more pleased vvith a dram of grace then prouoked with a pound of iniquitie Sinnes are not sinnes before God except that they bee done vvith pleasure That which I say is from that trueth Hee that is borne of God sinneth not Auoyde Sathan Thou art euer couered vvith rage as vvith a rayment When thou seest anger kindled thou art euer readie to adde tinder to that fyre Thou art cunning and craftie to clok thy bloodie massacres vvith pretences of seeking justice Sathan What say I but trueth His whole delight vvas in sinne While he was in health and strength he did weare my Liuerie Who did euer see him beare Christes cognisance All his godlinesse vvas but cloake and colour vvithout life and vigouâ—… Thogh hee sinne not now there vvhere hâ—…e lyeth he hath not left sin but sin hath left him If his tongue could speake hee could not for his heart denye it Scribitur in facie Beholde his fierce and kill-bucke countenance While he had youth and vigour hee obeyed no lawe but his lawlesse appetits Was hee challenged Then hee fathered his sinnes vpon mee The Angel Michael Thou in thy fond humour hast euer byting corrasiues for bleeding Consciences In his members I confesse there was a lawlesse law indeed but in his minde vvas Gods Lawe warring against the law of his members From his heart hee hated that law of his members But his whole delight was in the Law of the Spirit After that hee had sinned he 〈◊〉 cast the first stone at him selfe Sathan All these be but faire cloakes and couers for to hide his transgressions But they will not preuaile The heauens know that he was but the carrion of a Christian aglozing hypocriâ—… hauing the carkase of knowledge without the life of loue the power of practise euer fickle lik a Chameleon Hee is nowe in his good moode but if he shuld yet liue a space all shuld soone see that in his heart is nothing souÌ„d settled sincere what need I more this Soule must bee mine hee hath sinned and therefore hee muste bee cursed and so hee must bee mine Behold his Band and Obligation By the Lawe of God hee is mine Now must hee runne into ruine Let mee giue him a girke with my rodde The Angel Michael Avoid that bloody Bande hath bene cancelled by the blood of God that Obligation long since hath beene â—…uen with the nailes of the Crosse of Iesus That which the Law had 〈◊〉 hath beene loosed by the Gospel What his workes could not doe Gods grace hath perfected By fauour the mercifull Lord hath chosen him out of the lost masse of mankind Seeing his ransome hath cost God his blood all accusations must bee sealed with silence In despite of the vtmost rage of all infernall force this Soule shall bee saued Though all the powers of hell prodigiouslie madde should rage rampe and roare they shall not be able to vnâ—…ye the knot of Faith and Loue where with hee is vnited vnto his Sauiour Sathan I feare fore now that hee slippe the collar and goe from mee At least seeing in his whole life I haue beene his Master let him bee diuided let mee haue any part and let God take his choice in the partner-ship The Angel Michael Auoyde Sathan with thy wittie wickednesse whereby woluishlle thou woulde worrie this redâ—…emed Lambe Thy shaire is not with God Thou hast neither parte nor lot in this matter The whole man is Christes who hath bought him with a price Away with thy gun-pudered humour Attempt no more to touch him Thou shalt neuer grippe him any more within thy cruell clouthes nor inwrap him in thy snaires Woâ—… to that Soule that serueth thee It is like a Bird on a bush which is smitten in her song of the Archer for whom shee had tuned her song In the vtmost of all crueltie thou hast discharged the vtmost of thy gall vpon this wearied heart I will enter no more in parley with thee Now come our thou fillie Soule vnto him that breathed thee in that bodie Come to thy rightfull owner Come into mine armes that I may carrie thee vp the Ladder of Iaacob vnto blesse Christ thine Advocat hath pleaded for thee and hath winne the cause Come now Soule out of that body flie like an Eagle vp to the blessed Carcase of thy Lord where is constant peace vnmixed joye and blessed immortalitie Now thou art Christs Christ is thine HearkeÌ„ heare the cry of thy Spouse Rise vp my Loue my faire One and come away Rejoyce wearied Soule lift vp thine head Saluation is come The Heauens are opened goe enter into thy rest The Battell of the Soule is now ended Now deare Soule come out to eternity come out to thy Bridegrome who now calleth thee Bee clothed with royall apparell Put on the massie bright crowne of immortalitie with the glorious Garland of celestial Lawrels spangled with Iemmes of joye Come out wearied Traueller from doole dolour and distresse for to enter into pleasures for euermore FINIS A COMFORTABLE Speach for the Widow of the defunct M. WEE daylie may see the trueth of that in Iob Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Hee commeth foorth like a flowre and is cut downe He fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not Of this is a necessitie For it is appointed vnto all men once to die The decree is come foorth against all flesh All flesh is as grasse c. The grasse withereth the flowre fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth vpon it Surelie the people is grasse All must goe to the vast gulfe of the Graue Be cause all haue sinned all are mortall without exceptioÌ„ of persons prince people great and small all must goe to Golgotha To great men God hath said Yee are gods but yee shall die like men What man is hee said the Psalmist that liueth and shall not see death Were a man Monarch of the whole world Iob saith That his dayes are determined the number of his mâ—…neths are with God Hee hath
appointed his boundes that hee cannot passe As the enemies of Christ could not laye handes on him till his houre was come neither Death the 〈◊〉 enemie touch the Sainctes till the houre of their change come As for you M. whom now the Lord hath made a Widow yee haue to take patience and holde your peace with Aaron Dauid said to God I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou diddest it A Widow in the holie tongue is called Almanah from a worde that signifieth dumb a word warning her to lay her haÌ„d on her mouth for to seale it with a reuerend silence because God hath done it Let his decease prouoke and enkindle your desire to goe to him for hee will no more come to you God M. hath not left you comfortlesse for now happie is your Husband who hath drunke of deaths cuppe so peaceablie euen a sleeping drinke wherewith hee hath gone to sleepe with these righteous who are said by the Prophet to rest in their beddes The friendes of Christ die not but softlie with Lazarus that friend of Christ they sleepe in their Graues where they lye still and are quiet Trauell M. with your owne heart that it bee silent O but yee haue to blesse God who hath dealt so mercifullie with your dearest hearte whome hee hath so powerfullie vp holden in so bloodie and bitter a Battell against the enemies of his Saluation wherein by the strength of God in his weakenesse After bitter bickeringes hee hath obtained so glorious a victorie which hath made all the heauens torejoyce Now assuredlie M. yee may say My deare Husband the desire of mine eyes is now a Prince in heauen crowned with the euer greene Lawrels of immortalitie Hee hath changed a fraile life a wind in a worme for eternitie of Glorie Faithfull Iob patientlie blessed God by whose permission Sathan in a whirle-wind crushed all his Children together vnder the ruines of an house howe much more comfortablie may yee say The Lord gaue the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the Name of the Lord. How manie good and godlie persons haue their Husbands taken by Pyrates pyned in Galleyes rotting in prisons slaine by poysoÌ„ stobbed in duells murthered by Traitours killed in warre drowned in Riuers sunke downe in Seas with their whole substance and diuerslie taken away in most doolefull manner But be hold which may blunt the edge of your dolours your husband peaceablie deceased in his bed hauing his eyes closed with the finger of a Friend Though all the sortes of death of Gods beloued Ones be precious in his sight yet it is most comfortable for the liuing when these whom they loue best are remoued in this outward peaceable manner both spirituallie and temporallie comforted This Iob calleth to die in our nest If God had done otherwise to you in the rigour of his Iustice who durst controll him This also ye must remember for the settling of any druÌ„blie mood of impatiencie that may be in your heart that hee was but lent vnto you for a space and so contracted yee at the first to tarrie but a space together for if yee will take leasure to reade your Contract of mâ—…rriage yee shall finde that therein is made mention of the death of you both Let mee yet come neerer after hee had taken you by the hand before the 〈◊〉 on your marriage day your handes a little after few wordes spoken did goe asunder againe euen for to tell you that none immortall knot can bee had of any things heere below happie shee whose hearte is plyable and obsequious to the will of her God I confesse that yee cannot but mourne beeing depriued of such 〈◊〉 pleasure the fairest jewell of all your worldlie joy the staffe of your estate on whoÌ„ your greatest comfortes did depend what woÌ„der for many days haue ye bene glad together so that it is no possible were ye neuer so saÌ„ctified but your heart must be deeplie wounded Why not Gods will was neuer against anie moderate mourning for the dead * Grace maketh noâ—… men and women Stoicks and stockes that cannot bee moued for anything Nay God permits vs to mourne but not to carke care as these which haue none hope who â—…ugging out their haire and downe their cheekes powre out their roaringes as waters beeing swallowed vp of discouragement hauing none hoe in their griefe they some out myre and dirt It is permitted to mourne when Gods hand is gone out against vs It is naturall True grace is not against it but against its corruption in excesse In the Olde-Testament Abraham mourned for Sarah For the death of Deborah Rebeccas Nurse was sore weeping for which cause yâ— Oak-tree vnder which she was buried was called Allon Bachuth the Oake of weeping Iacob wept exceedingly for Ioseph whom hee thought by some wilde beaste to haue beene rent in pieces After that Iacob had gathered vp his feete yeelded vp the ghost Ioseph fell vpon his face and wept 〈◊〉 him and kissed him Naomi after shee had lost both Husband and Children would no more bee called Naomi that is pleasant Call me not Naomi said shee that is pleasant but call mee Marah that is bitter For the Almightie hath dealt verie bitter 〈◊〉 with me I went out full and the Lord hath brought mee home againe emptie Why then call yee mee Naomie seeing the Lord hath testified against mee and the Almightie hath afflicted mee These all were interested and therefore they mourned beeing pinched with the smart Behold M. how in the Olde-Testament God by taking away by death hath afflicted his dearest Ones for to vse Naomis words hath testified against them consider also how they haue mourned In the New-Testament Christ himselfe groaning in himselfe wept at Lazarus his Graue The wordes are these And Iesus wept The sight of Christes death was by Simeon foretold to his Mother Marie This Simeon called a sword which shuld pierce her thorow the Soule Thus as yee see a Christian heart is not a Marble heart but a melâ—…ing heart furnishing teares the tribute of our loue appointed for the funeral obsequies of our best beloued whose appointed monethes of life are expired Indeede where grace is it stayeth at the course stoppeth the â—…ent and the streame of Natures blind and bold corruptions bringing our most violent affections into an holie compasse of an humble submission vnto Gods will But it neuer dissalloweth a tempered Turtle crouding for the absence of our dearest comforts Such cleare crystall teares the Lord will put vp in his Bottels But as for these drumlie and barmie teares of fierce and vnrulie passions comming from the muddie fountaine of an vnhallowed heart the Lord will not respect them no more than 〈◊〉 regarded the sacrifice of Cain Sucâ—… teares are like the waters of jealousiâ—… to the whoorish woman which madâ—… her thigh to rotte